Consequences and Changes
by DarkAngel1227
Summary: Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.
1. Chapter 1

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 1<p>

Commander Taylor cracked his neck and stared down with steely intensity contemplating his next move. He happened to take a quick glannce up from the board and saw her staring back at him with hooded eyes, her face in her hand and her elbow resting on the table. He called her name and she didn't reply so he said it louder and she finally looked at him.

"Am I boring you?" he asked semi seriously. She was chess prodigy, a born strategist. Her father had high hopes for her to be the youngest General in the army and she was on her way there before a terrible illness took him from her too soon. After his death she had no interest in joining the military even though her entire schooling prepared her for that life. Chess was her game; she could see the board better than anyone he knew. She could see her opponent's weaknesses and strengths and use that to her advantage. He played her when she's been distracted but she never looked like she could fall asleep right then and there.

"What?" she said in almost dazed whisper then she shook her head. "No, I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping well" Which wasn't entirely true, she just felt tired all the time. She wasn't feeling well either; she was barely eating because everything disgusted her and her body ached like she'd been thrown off Snakehead falls.

She knew she had been working hard. She tried to help with each job that she was trained in. She was doing all of that to show Taylor she was a part of this community to make up for what she did but she was also doing it so she would think about what she did. Every time she saw the small scar on her forehead she remembered. She could hear the gunshots, feel the weight of the gun and the shock from the release, she saw him fall to ground and saw only his shoes sticking up from the grass. She almost sighed in relief when they looked up and he was gone. She hadn't killed him.

Then she remembered the feeling of his skin against hers, the way his lean muscles felt underneath her fingertips, the tingling thrill she felt as he pressed steaming rivulet of languid kisses over her body, his hands skimming and caressing her breasts and stomach, his lips following. She remembered the mounting, pulsing tension flow between them at the place where their bodies joined. She became lost in him. Until she didn't know where he ended and she began. Didn't know who was leading and who was following, who was pushing and who was pulling. She recalled his deep cries of ecstasy that matched her own. It sent her insides whirling. She couldn't forget, she didn't want to forget.

"Have you gone to the infirmary, maybe they can give you something to help you sleep" he suggested. These past five weeks had taken a toll on everyone, rebuilding the colony, rationing the food they had left and just trying to get things back to normal. He knew that Skye had taken on more than anyone, trying to earn back his trust all while taking care of her sick mother. So if she was tired he understood why. "Do you want to pick this up another day?"

"Yea, that sounds good" she nodded hoping her cheeks weren't as flushed as they felt. She shouldn't be thinking of him, not when she was with the father he tried to kill. Skye rubbed her hand over her face and stood up. She must've done it too fast because she suddenly felt light headed and had to steady herself on the table.

"Skye?" Taylor asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine" She replied and looked him in the eyes and smiled at him. She wasn't fine but she didn't want Taylor to have to worry about her. He had enough to worry about with the entire colony looking to him to keep them safe now that they no longer had access to the future. "I'm good" she said and gingerly took a step forward.

Taylor not satisfied with her answer watched her walk away from him. He saw her stumble and was at her side he yelled "Skye!" as she collapsed in his arms.

"What happened?" she asked drowsily.

It had only been a few seconds but it had scared him to death. "You fainted, so I'm taking you to the infirmary" He saw her begin to protest. "There is no discussing this" he told her firmly. "Can you walk?"

"Yea" She said and he helped her stand. She was still unsteady on her feet so he kept his arm securely around her waist.

Dr. Shannon looked up when she saw them. Skye was leaning into Taylor chest as she half walked and he half carried her, worry stretched across her features. She ran over to them. "What happened?"

"I'm fine…" Skye began to say.

"She's not fine, she fainted" Taylor told Elizabeth Shannon and she saw the worry in features as well.

"Ok, let's get her into an exam room" she said and led them to an empty room. She closed the curtains while Taylor helped Skye on the bed. "You fainted?" She asked the young woman as she got comfortable on the bed.

"I stumbled and just fell" Skye replied. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at that. "Ok, I guess I fainted. I'm tired that's all" She didn't like having people fuss over her. She was fine, just tired. She didn't need to be here when there were others that needed real help. During her shift this morning she must've wrapped a hundred bandages on colonist that hurt themselves with construction tools and machines they didn't know how to use properly. She worked with the construction crew and tried to train people, it took her a few months to get the hang of some of the equipment, but with only a thousand people left they couldn't afford to have a full on training session.

"Tired, have you been having trouble sleeping?" Dr. Shannon asked as she went to get the scanner. She knew Skye had a lot on her plate. She appeared to be trained in a little bit everything but that didn't mean she had to do everything. On top of that she had to take care of her mother who was still so weak. She and Malcolm were trying to make a cure from the powder Curren brought back but they were unsuccessful thus far. The medicine was keeping her alive but it wasn't getting rid of the virus.

"Sort of" Skye replied timely and looked at Taylor who was standing by her bedside. Elizabeth also looked at him hoping he'd get the hint.

He did. "Right, there are some things I have to take care of" he said "I'll check back on you later, okay?" he asked her as he was leaving. Skye nodded her head.

"Have you just been feeling tired or is there more?" Elizabeth asked when Taylor left. "If we are going to find out what's wrong. You need to tell me. Scanners can only do so much only you know what's going on with your body"

Skye sighed. "I feel like I've been running a marathon"

"You've been doing a lot, if your muscles are sore it's understandable" Elizabeth said with a smile as she set the scanner up and pressed the button. A hologram of Skye's body appeared hovering above her.

"Yeah" Skye replied.

Elizabeth looked over the scanner pressing buttons on her plex, first checking the muscles. Everything looked fine there. She then pressed some more buttons and looked back at the scan. Her breath hitched by what she saw.

"What?" Skye asked noticing the change in Dr. Shannon's posture.

Elizabeth looked down at the young woman. "Skye…" she said hesitantly. "You're pregnant"

"What?" An alarmed gruff voice said from the doorway. They both looked over to see that Taylor had returned to the room. He left to see if he could get someone to help Skye with her mother for a couple hours a day. He found someone and was just going to tell her that when he heard what Dr. Shannon told her.

Elizabeth looked back at Skye. The young woman bowed her head and took deep breaths. Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to look back at Commander Taylor but she could feel the intensity flowing off of him making it feel like the temperature had dropped ten degrees. Skye looked at her and nodded her head, telling her she should leave. "…I will...go get you some things that you will need." She said and left. She didn't want to leave her alone but it wasn't her place to stay. This was something they needed to talk about.

Skye bowed her head again. When she looked up Taylor was pacing by her bedside. He looked at her, his mouth opened but no words came out and it closed again. Then he'd turn his back towards her. She wasn't naïve enough to not think that this was a possibility she was just hoping it wasn't. She was late but she convinced herself that it was the stress. But now she had to face the truth, all her symptoms added up to that conclusion.

Nathanial Taylor rubbed his hand over his face; this is not what he expected to deal with. He thought she was just stressed by everything that's happened. He wasn't expecting to hear that…that. He couldn't even bring himself to finish his thought. He didn't want to think about it. He sighed and looked at her. He was having trouble forming words. "The father?" he finally managed to ask, not sure he wanted to hear which one of the people living here…was…had…

It startled her a little when he finally spoke; his voice was gruff and hard when he asked the question she knew would be the first. The question she didn't want to answer. She was hoping no one would ever know what she did, that it would stay between him and her, but she was stupid and didn't think it through. Using protection was the last thing on her mind. She knew Lucas would've killed Josh if she hadn't done anything and now she wouldn't be able to hide it, everyone would know what she did, what they did.

Her breath hitched as she felt the tears start to well in her eyes. "…he was going to…kill Josh; I couldn't let him…hurt anyone because of me. He wouldn't let go…Josh shouldn't have…." the tears spilled from her eyes now. "I knew what he wanted…"

Taylor stepped backwards as her words sunk in. His hands went to his hair, the back of his head and in front of his face. He didn't know what to do with them as he realized who Skye was talking about. "Lucas" his voice croaked out his son's name.

Skye nodded as her face scrunched up with tears streaming down her face.

Taylor again was at a loss for words. He didn't have time to deal with this now. There was too much work to do, getting units ready to visit the Badlands, the colony still needed to be cleaned up. He needed to think of ways to take care of the mercenaries guarding the Badland, so that's what he was going to do. He couldn't allow himself to think of anything else. He couldn't bring himself to look at her so he turned around and walked out.

"Taylor!" she cried out in a chocked sob. "I'm sorry"

"Don't leave me!" He heard her cry out and he stopped by the curtain. He closed his eyes, opened them and kept walking.

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 2<p>

Elizabeth hadn't meant to be listening but she hadn't gotten that far when she heard Skye's confession. Her hands went to her mouth when she figured out who the father was. She closed her eyes in sorrow because she knew that Lucas had been nicer to Skye then he was to anyone else. Everyone knew that, she was given more freedom to move around the colony. She saw them together quite often and if she had paid attention a little more maybe she could've done something to help her.

When she found out Skye was the traitor like eveyone else she was disappointed. However she couldn't ignore the reason why she did what she did. She lost her father and the Sixers offered her way to keep her mother alive. That would be hard for anyone to turn down especially a young teenager. She was angry at herself for leaving Skye to handle that pychopath on her own. If she had known... . The sentence was left hanging and Elizabeth Shannon closed her eyes. What was wrong her? How could she have done that. She liked the young woman and she knew that she was a good person, just one that suffered too much loss and was determined not to suffer anymore. She knew everyone in the colony liked Skye, but once it was revealed she was the traitor, everyone abandoned her. She was left on her own again, making decisions she should not have had to make. Making a decision once again by doing whatever it took to save a life.

She wiped the tears from her eyes before she entered the room. Skye was curled up on her side sobbing into the pillow. She was only two years older than Maddie but she had already gone through so much for someone so young. She didn't need this added to her already troubled life. Taylor should not have abandoned her like he did. He was her guardian, her friend. She knew Skye had broken his trust, but she needed him right now more than ever.

Elizabeth walked over to the bed and placed her hand on Skye's shoulder. Skye's tear filled eyes looked up at her. She knew Skye was instrumental in stopping the Phoenix group, if she hadn't been able to gain Lucas' trust and get them the cargo they needed the plan never would've worked. She didn't know that Skye had saved Josh's life; she didn't know what Skye had done to save his life. There was nothing she could to do or say that make up for what happened.

Skye sniffled then sucked her breath in, used her hands to wipe away her tears and sat up. "Can I go?" she asked. She couldn't just lie here feeling sorry for herself. She needed to get to her mother, she was probably worried, and they were supposed to have lunch together.

Elizabeth was taken aback by the sudden question. "Yes, you can." Elizabeth replied. "You're in the early stages about…"

"Five weeks" Skye interjected.

Elizabeth nodded somberly. "Yes"

"What do I need to do?" she asked still sniffing back her tears.

"Well if you've made…your decision…"

"I'm keeping the baby" Skye replied strongly. That decision she made quickly. It was her actions that caused this and maybe it wasn't under the best of circumstances but it happened. She was going to take full reasonability for that. She didn't know if she was ready to be a mother but she knew that this baby was hers.

"Okay" Elizabeth nodded. "I brought you some vitamins that you'll need to start taking immediately" She held out the bottle and Skye took it from and stared down at them. "And these will help with the nausea"

"Will it help with food smelling gross?" Skye asked.

"No, I'm sorry that…is just part of it" Elizabeth said with knowing grin. "And I'm going to be honest with you Skye, if you are already having symptoms like that; it will only get worse before it gets better." Elizabeth told the young woman. "If it hasn't already" she added.

Skye inhaled deeply "Yay" she said as she exhaled and got off the bed. "You can't tell anyone right?" Skye asked. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide her pregnancy forever but she still had some time.

"Doctor/patient confidentiality is an oath I take very seriously" Elizabeth said to her. She wondered if her husband had any idea what Skye did to let Lucas let Josh go. She wouldn't say anything of course. She was telling Skye the truth, unless someone was a danger to themselves or others she would never break a patients trust.

And she needed someone to trust now, her mother was still much too weak to be a much help, Skye was taking care of her and if Taylor wasn't going to help her then she would. "Skye" She called out as the young woman began to walk away. She turned around. "If you ever need to talk, about anything…not just about the pregnancy. I'm here"

"Thank you" Skye replied and walked out. She put the pill bottles in her bag that she saw Taylor had brought with them and slung it over her shoulder. She hurriedly ran from the clinic to the new house she shared with her mother. She opened the door. "Mom" she called out as she placed her bag in her room.

"Skye" Her mother said weakly steadying herself on doorframe of her room. Skye smiled at her mother and went to her and slipped her arm around her waist so her mother could lean on her as they walked.

"Is it time for dinner already?" her mother asked.

"Lunch, its 1300" Skye replied.

"Right" Deborah Tate nodded. "I sleep so much I lose track of time" she shook her head sadly her mind slowly clearing. "1300 that's late, where were you?"

"I was playing chess with Taylor, remember?" Skye asked. She knew it took her mother awhile to fully wake up after her naps, but it was still worried her that she couldn't retain most of the things she told her.

"Right, chess" her mother said and Skye knew she was lying, she didn't remember. "Commander Taylor's a good man, he was always good to us" Her mother said wistfully. "When your father gets home we should invite him for dinner"

Skye bowed her head trying to hold back more tears that threatened to come out. She didn't get to spend much time with her mother when the Sixers had her. If she did she would've seen that while they were keeping her alive they weren't helping her. She hated having to do this every time but her mother had to remember. She stopped walking her mother looked at her confused. "Mom" she started. "Dad's not coming home. Remember?"

She saw the realization across her mother's features, the sadness. "I know" she replied her voice a little stronger now. "I know" her eyes closed. "I'm tired" She said and started to turn around.

"You have to eat" she said more forcefully then she intended. "Dr. Shannon was very adamant about that" Her mother nodded and smiled. Skye took her to mother to the living room and led her to the couch. She went to her plex that was lying out and put on some Mozart and her mother quickly went into her own dream world.

Her mother was right, Taylor was good to them, to her and she threw it back in his face. He had every right to turn his back to her, he didn't owe her anything. It was all on her, she broke the trust they shared.

Skye sighed; she needed to eat now too. She just hoped it would stay down. She opened the refrigerator and took out some vegetables and the Steno she had caught two days ago when she went out with the fishers. She was fine until she started cooking the meat, the scent hit her like a ton of bricks and she ran to the bathroom.

Her hands gripped either side of the sink trying to will the nausea away. If Dr. Shannon was right and it was going to get worse before it got better, then they really needed to stop calling it morning sickness. She brushed her teeth and slowly made her way back to the kitchen hoping her mother didn't notice or hear her in the bathroom. The last thing her mother needed now was to know her eighteen year old daughter was pregnant without being married. She'd tell her eventually, but she'd just wait until she was a little better, when she could handle the news. She saw her mother sitting on the couch with her eyes closed listening to the music. Skye let out the breath she'd been holding, she didn't notice.

She had to practically hold her breath while she finished cooking. It seemed to work, she didn't have to run to the bathroom again, her stomach still felt queasy and the food did not look appetizing at all. But she woke her mother up and managed to force the food down. How long it would stay there would be different question.

Afterwards her mother wanted to go back to bed so she gave her, her medicine and helped her into bed. The illness sapped her strength so quickly she knew that Dr. Shannon and Malcom were really trying to find a cure. She just hoped it would be in time. Her mother couldn't afford to keep getting weaker.

She felt disgusting so she jumped in the shower to clean herself off. When she was done she wiped the steam from the mirror and she stood in front of it and looked at herself. She placed her hand on her still flat belly and looked down at it. Her child was growing inside her, their child. The only thing going through her mind in the beginning was saving Josh's life; she wanted to get it over with. But that was before, during it she wanted more. She begged him for more and he obliged.

When she was with him she saw the warmth Lucas could give, saw glimpses of the man he could be. It was his hatred that kept him in the darkness. She wasn't even sure if Lucas knew the real reason he hated his father so much anymore. It consumed so much of him that it got lost somewhere in the shuffle. Each gentle touch, each soft kiss he gave her she saw that his humanity was not entirely wiped away, deep down it was still there.

And Lucas was still out there somewhere, she hadn't killed him. And he wasn't just a madman anymore; he was the father of her child. He had a right to know, a right to decide if he wanted to be a part of his baby's life. But it would be impossible to tell him, she didn't know where he was, if he had gotten the medical attention he no doubt needed. She shot him twice and she was a good shot. He may very well be lying dead in the jungle now. She shook her head; she didn't want to think about that. Lucas was a survivor, he'd find a way to get better and then find a new way to try and destroy his father. He probably hated her now too; she betrayed him twice and chose Commander Taylor over him.

But she didn't just to do it to save the Commander's life; she did to save his as well. She knew deep down he didn't really want to kill his father. He would regret it if he did. There may be venom in voice when he talked about his father; but he still talked about his father, he wanted his father to see him, to see how great he was. His own ego was blinding him to what he really wanted, his father's love.

From Taylor that would be hard to get. She couldn't imagine what Taylor thought of her now, probably the same thing the colony will think when they find out. She wasn't only a liar and a traitor; she was a skank that exchanged sex for favors. Why would Taylor want anything to do with her.

She picked up the pill bottle she had brought in with her. She opened it and downed the pill. She opened the vitamins and took them too.

It wasn't the way she planned on having a baby but she knew better than most that things rarely ever went according to plan. She didn't know if she was ready. She'd done so much by herself, she could do this too. She looked up at the mirror once more; she was going to be a mother, that sounded weird when she said it in her head and even weirder when she said it out loud.

A knock on the front door startled her out of her thoughts. She quickly dressed and threw a towel around her shoulder so her damp hair wouldn't drip down her shirt.

She padded over to the door and opened it. She was shocked to see Commander Taylor standing on the other side.

Tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 3<p>

They stood across the threshold from each other in a strained silence avoiding eye contact. She didn't know why he was here. Why would he want to look at her after all the things she's done? He was better off staying away, he's not her father, he had no reason to stick around and help her clean up her mistakes.

"May I come in?" He asked gruffly. Skye opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him pass. She closed the door and leaned against it with her hands behind her back. Her heart beat quickly against her chest. She saw Taylor look around her house, probably inspecting it to see that she was keeping it clean and organized. "How's your mother?" he asked her without turning around.

"Fine, she's sleeping" Skye answered.

"That's good" he replied with his back still towards her and his hands clasped behind him.

"Do you want to sit down…or something?" She asked nervously. She saw the disappointment and shame in his eyes when Dr. Shannon said she was pregnant and the anger when he found out Lucas was the father. Without saying anything he walked into the living room and she followed. And again they were across from each other trying not to look at one another.

Taylor inhaled and exhaled deeply, he knew what he did was the worst thing he could've done. He abandoned her in a time of need. He was supposed to be her guardian, her protector and he failed her in all aspects. He allowed her to pay for his mistakes.

Lucas never should've been there, he never should've been able to take over the colony. That man out there in the jungle was not his son. He lost his son when he lost his wife because his son would never have taken advantage of young girl like that. Just thinking about it made his soul hurt.

He knew Skye was the type to run into a burning building to get everyone out, to stand in front if a Carno was charging at her friends, to kill a man to save his life. She never did those things to be the hero, she did them because it was the right thing to do. She wanted to save everyone no matter what it cost her in return. Those selfless acts of bravery made him proud to have her on his side.

He remembered her when she was the smiling happy five year old that would come to watch her father train other recruits at the base in Bangkok, the seven year old that beat him at chess on her first try, the rebellious fifteen year old that walked through the portal with her family to Terra Nova. To the tragedy that struck six months after their arrival. Her childhood was ripped away from her far too soon.

It was the shock that hit him the hardest. The shock of knowing what happened, knowing what she did, knowing that Lucas had allowed that to happen. It destroyed him inside that she thought she had to go that far. He finally looked at her sitting across from him staring intently at the ground. She looked so young, but she wasn't a girl anymore, she hadn't been for a long time. "How are you feeling?" He finally managed to get the words to leave his lips.

"Better, Dr. Shannon gave me something to help with the nausea" she replied rubbing her hands together still looking at the ground.

She brought herself to look at him; he looked like he had aged ten years overnight and she had always thought that despite his silver hair he was ageless. They were just getting back to normal and that wasn't an easy feat and then this happened. She felt the tears in her eyes again. It was all her fault; How could she be a mother if she was nothing but a constant disappointment to everyone around her?

"Skye…I…." he began to speak. He had lost so much already and so had she. He took her in and promised her he would take care of her. He would not break that promise. He needed her, they need each other especially now. Apologizing isn't something he was good at, he knew that. Apologizing meant you made a mistake, it meant weakness. And with her he had made a mistake, he had showed weakness. "I shouldn't have left you like that, I'm sorry"

"Its fine" she replied sucking in her breath trying to hold back her tears.

"No, it's not" he said keeping his gaze locked on hers. "It's not okay, don't ever think that it was. You needed me and I wasn't there." He bowed his head then looked at her. "I'm here now and I'm not going to go anywhere. Whatever you decide I'll be here" He said and he meant every word. Whatever decision she made he would support her.

"I'm keeping the baby" she told him as the tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. "And I know what it means…keeping this baby…"

"It means you're going to be a mother" Taylor told her with a small grin. "And I'm going to be a Grandpa"

Skye looked at him through her tears; she tried to smile through her chocking sobs. Taylor got up and sat down next to her, he put his arms around her and she fell into his chest. "And I plan on being the best Grandpa in the world"

Taylor stayed for dinner and they spent the night talking and laughing. She had forgotten what family dinners felt like. It had been so long since she last had one. After her parents were gone, Taylor would make dinner for them but she was depressed and angry and wouldn't say much. When she lived with her friends they rarely ate together because they had different work schedules so most often they would grab a quick bite on their way out the door. And other times they went home to eat with their parents. Sure they'd invite her along but she always felt out of place so most of the time she declined.

But Taylor was here and even her mother looked better then she had ever seen her. She was laughing, smiling, taking part in the conversation and telling embarrassing stories about her when she was little. She placed her hand on her stomach and smiled wondering if she was going to be doing that with her child. She caught Taylor looking at her, she told him she hadn't told her mother yet, she was waiting for the right time to break the news. He told her he wouldn't say anything, that it was her news to share but she should tell her.

She knew that but as she looked at her mother looking healthier and happier then she had in years, she didn't want to ruin that by disappointing her. It wasn't that she was afraid to tell her about the baby, it was more the how and who part that she couldn't bring her to tell her mother about. What was she going to say, hey mom you know that psychopath that gave you the blanket and took over Terra Nova, well he was going to kill a friend of mine so I had sex with him so he wouldn't and now you are going to be a grandma, congratulations! That's a story every mother wants to hear.

She said goodnight to Taylor, helped her mother into bed and crawled into her own. Her mind filled with the same dream she'd been having every night, dreams of him.


	4. Chapter 4

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion

* * *

><p>Ch 4<p>

Skye was on her back with her knees bent, her eyes were closed. Dr. Shannon had made her mother's appointments early in the morning when few people were in the clinic, so her mother could receive her treatments and she could have her checks up without anyone knowing about them.

Today she was having her first ultra sound. Taylor offered to be there with her but then they'd both just be uncomfortable. And she supposed she should just get used to the fact that Dr. Shannon was going to know her very well.

Her thoughts drifted as Dr. Shannon was making the preparations. And lately like always her thoughts only drifted to one thing._ Lucas_. She couldn't shake him from her thoughts. All day she thought of him, and all night she saw him rocking above her, his hard lean muscles glistening with sweat, his moans of pleasure, the feeling of him sheathed inside her. She really hoped that horniness wasn't part of the pregnancy symptoms, because she couldn't satisfy herself the way Lucas had. And she was too embarrassed to ask Dr. Shannon about it.

"Skye, do you hear that?" Dr. Shannon asked with a small grin.

She jumped a little when Dr. Shannon's voice invaded her thoughts. She prayed the older woman didn't notice the flush in her cheeks. But then she stopped thinking and listened and forgot all about her awkwardness as she heard the soft whooshing sound of a beating heart. Her baby's heart beat. "It's so fast" she said looking at Dr. Shannon apprehensively.

"It is that's normal at this stage the baby's heart beats twice as fast as yours" Dr. Shannon reassured the young mother.

Her hands rested on her stomach as she looked at the screen hovering next to the bed. Dr. Shannon kept trying to point out where the baby was but all she saw was a bunch of blobs on the screen. But the heart beat, that she heard. Somehow that made it seem more real, and it wasn't that she was without constant reminders; she and the toilet had become very well acquainted in the two weeks since she found out. Dr. Shannon told her it's different for every woman and every pregnancy. She said that with Josh she hardly got sick at all and with Maddie and Zoe she practically camped in front of the toilet. It also dismayed her to hear that it could last another month.

But as she listened to the tiny pulsing heart of her baby she smiled. Hearing the heartbeat made her baby a person, a tiny marble sized person but a person none the less.

"Have you told your mother yet?" Elizabeth asked knowing she hadn't. She knew Skye was worried about telling her, but her mother needed to know and maybe she could share this experience with her. "You shouldn't have to go through this alone." She told her cleaning up and closing the screen.

"I'm not, I have you" Skye replied pulling her gown down and sitting up.

"And I'm happy to be here for you. But I think your mother would like to know she's going to be a grandma" She was in her seventh week of the pregnancy and everything was looking good, the baby was healthy and developing at a normal rate. But only she and Commander Taylor knew about it.

"I'll tell her" Skye said sliding off and went to the chair that held her clothes._ Eventually_ she said in her head. Her mother needed to focus on getting better. Telling her about the baby wouldn't help.

Elizabeth inhaled deeply and nodded her head. She couldn't make Skye tell her mother, she just thought it might be easier if she had the support of her mother. She knew that Deborah loved her daughter dearly and would be there for her. It would upset her a little but she would want to know if it was Maddie. She wouldn't want her daughter thinking she had to hide that from her.

"My mom should be done; I'll take her home and start my shift when I get back" She told Dr. Shannon as she started walking to the door.

"Okay, see you then" Elizabeth smiled at her.

She walked into the room just as her mother was slowly getting off the bed. She ran over to help her. "Skye" her mother said with her warming smile."Where were you?"

"I was talking to Dr. Shannon about how to give you your new medicine" She hated lying to her mother, but the lies just rolled off her tongue, maybe there was something really wrong with her? Why was she thinking about Lucas? She didn't have feelings for him, the only reason she had sex with him was so he would let Josh live. It was great, sex. But he was psychotic and cruel and a murderer. He killed Lt. Washington in cold blood. He was going to kill his father, if she hadn't stopped him. She shouldn't be thinking about him but she coudn't stop. This baby growing inside her, their baby wouldn't let her forget the warmth, gentleness and kindness she saw in him. She sighed and saw her mother staring at her. So she smiled back, Malcolm was staring her on a new medicine regiment; she'd have to ask him when she started work today.

"What are we doing today?" her mother asked as they walked back to the house.

"I have to work today" Skye replied sadly. She really wasn't getting enough time to spend with her mother.

"Right, work. I keep forgetting you're all grown up now" Deborah Tate smiled proudly at her daughter. She had felt terrible that she had missed so much of Skye's life. The sickness had come so quickly, taking her Christopher from them so suddenly they barely had time to react. Then she had gotten sick and everything was a blur. She didn't even know that three years had passed. Her baby girl had become a woman and she missed it. She didn't want to miss anymore of her daughter's life; she was determined to beat this illness.

That smile crushed her, because her mother had no idea. She had no idea what her daughter had been doing, who she'd been doing. Would her mother be as proud of her if she knew the truth?

When they arrived home she helped her mother sit down at a chair in the kitchen and she started preparing breakfast while they waited for the nurse.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything else? Another blanket? Some water?" Skye asked her frantically collecting things she thought her mother would need before she left.

"Skye, calm down" Deborah said to her from the couch. "Stop worrying, I'm your mother, it's supposed to be my job to worry about you." She was worried about her, she noticed that Skye had been a lot more moody lately. She was taking on too much she was like her father in that way. They both pushed themselves to limit and would continue to push until someone stopped them. They would fight until they took their last breath. She saw Skye drag herself through the door day after day looking like she was going to pass out but she would then make dinner for the two of them and make sure she was okay. She never complained, she just did it. She would have to talk to Commander Taylor to see if he would allow Skye to take a few days off to recuperate.

Skye gave her mother a weak smile and nodded her head. Then without thinking about it she ran to her mother and threw her arms around her burying her head in her chest. Her mother embraced her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll beat this, Skye. You'll see. Then we can get things back to normal"

Skye squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to tell her so badly, she just didn't want to disappoint her "Yea" she whispered her reply.

* * *

><p>Pain, there was so much pain, aching, throbbing, agonizing, he felt as if he were somewhere between a death and a nightmare. A cough shook his body violently making him cry out; he felt the metallic taste of blood on his lips, he was choking on his own blood. He tried to open his eyes; all he saw were blurs of white and greens. His chest there was something on his chest, pounding, pulsating. Was that his heart? He heard a muffled voice before the darkness overtook him.<p>

In the distance he heard a soft thumbing sound that repeated over and over again. He stirred and the pain vibrated through his body and brought him back into consciousness. He opened his eyes they tried to adjust to the brightness. He tried to bring his hand to his face but it felt like a two ton Carnotaurus was standing on his arms.

He sucked in his breath that was a mistake; the pain resonated through his bones. But it cleared his mind. He looked in the direction of the thumbing sound and saw Mira hitting that green spiky fruit against the side of the hut to crack it open. The rest were scattered on the table.

She turned around and her dark eyes met his. "Good you're not dead" she said with her stern voice.

"Sorry to disappoint you" he replied hoarsely and started to cough.

Mira ran to his side, held his head up slightly and poured water into his mouth slowly. She took it away after he had enough to wet his throat as she started mixing something in bowl by his beside.

When she held his head up he saw only the white of the bandages covering his bare chest. "What's that smell?" He asked holding his breath.

"It's a mixture of sweet balm, tarragon and bay leaves" Mira replied rubbing some on his chest. "It'll help with the healing and prevent infection. You've been in and out consciousness for five weeks" She took out some fresh bandages she helped him sit up as she started wrapping them around his chest. "It's a miracle you're alive, whoever shot you intended to kill you"

He finally remembered what happened. He was crying, begging his father to forgive him. His father the fool that he is fell for it easily. When he embraced him he sunk the knife into his gut. The stupid man actually thought he wanted his forgiveness, and he had his chance to kill the Great Commander Nathaniel Taylor. He had the knife in the air and he looked down at his fallen father, then he felt the searing pain as hot metal burned through his body; he looked up saw her face, her beautiful face behind the barrel. It only stopped him for a second his rage was far too great so he charged at his father once more. Then he felt the metal rip through him again, the force of it sending him backwards.

He wasn't dead; the pain was keeping him alert. He saw them, his father and his Skye holding onto each other as if they were each other's lifeline. She shot him; she shot him to save his father, their father. No hesitation, no thought just pulled the trigger, twice.

He thought they had shared something special, he didn't imagine it. He saw the desire in her eyes, the desire for him.

_She placed her hands around his neck and threaded her fingers in his hair, he kissed her licking, tasting, devoring her mouth hungrily. He moved to her throat, to her collarbone then lower placing tender kissed over her breasts. "You're so beautiful," he said softly before he took one into his hot, wet mouth, and suckled and tugged gently at her breast. A small soft cry escaped her. His tongue traced a path across the valley of her breasts to take her other one into his mouth. She arched her back, offering her breasts to his ravenous lips and tongue, and moaned in pleasure as his teeth gently nipped the tender bud._

_He slid his body upward, his skin rubbing seductively against hers. The sleek caress of his body enveloped her like a warm blanket woven of thrilling anticipation. He settled himself between her legs, pressing her down with his hips letting the tip of his manhood touch the folds of her entrance._

_He kissed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He raised his head slightly to look at her, watching her blue eyes widen slightly as he tilted his hips, flexing slightly, pushing forward slowly, the tip of his manhood gaining entrance. He was met with no resistance, she wasn't a virgin and that upset him a little. But he didn't have much time to think about that as she pushed her hips against him and his body responded. He pushed again slowly stretching her, filling her, sheathing himself farther inside her exquisite warmth. Inch by inch he entered her, and when he had filled her completely, he remained motionless inside her._

_He looked into her eyes and saw them burning with desire. He withdraw from her almost completely only to fill her very slowly again… again… again. Her hands slid down his body, her nails grazing him to grasp his buttocks, pulling him closer. She moved against him, matching the increasing rhythm of his undulating hips. She closed her eyes then and raised her knees higher, wanting, needing to feel all of him inside her. "More…," she breathed._

_"Skye…," he breathed through parted lips, lowering his head to kiss and nuzzle her. "You feel so good," he all but groaned._

_He drove into her harder, faster, the passion of his ardor mounting. Her cries of ecstasy matching his own. She cried his name and he gave her everything, his warm wet release filling her, until his movements gradually slowed, then stopped. He remained inside her for a time, his face pressed against the curve of her shoulder. A thin sheen of perspiration covered them both. She stroked and smoothed his hair, neck and shoulders, as sweet lethargy overcame them, and their breathing became normal again_.

He knew why she did that with him, but he thought that what they shared something that night, something he's never shared with anyone. He didn't see any hesitation, any fear, she wanted him and he wanted her. She was a better then he thought. He underestimated her, he would not make that mistake again.

"Why?" Lucas asked trying to breathe through the pain. "Why did you save me?"

"I need you" Mira replied.

"For what?" he asked trying to shake her from his thoughts. He saw the light as it reflected off her face, she looked like an angel that had come down from the heavens. When he was with her, there was no pain, no anger, only her bright light pushing the darkness away. _No_ he screamed in his head, he didn't need this, she made her choice.

"To get me back to my daughter"

Lucas laughed as Mira's dark eyes glared at him, she was serious. "Why would I help you with that?"

"Because deep down I know there's a human being in there somewhere" Mira replied.

"You should've let me die" he told her her laughing again, it was hilarious that she actually thought he cared.

"You have no idea what a parent would to for their child, you have no idea what a parent is capable of doing if their child is in danger, even if it meant having your child hate you for the rest of their life, you would do anything to keep them alive. Because no matter how old they are or where they are or what they do, they will always be your child."

"I'm sorry was that was supposed to mean something?" Lucas asked "Was it supposed to touch my heart, was I supposed to shed a tear?" he asked laughing, then grunting as the pain started again.

"No, it just needed to be said." She told him standing up. Lucas would help her that much she knew. The only thing in that deranged little mind of his was beating his father. "Hope plaza's destroyed, the portal's gone, and your father has taken Terra Nova back. He won" she saw Lucas' nostrils start to flare. She knew that would get to him. "I didn't take you as the type to quit" she said drawing out the last word.

Tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 5<p>

Skye was trying to get through the work day, she was exhausted. She'd been exhausted since she woke up this morning. She didn't know being pregnant would be so tiring. She tapped the buttons closing her last patients file. After she went to the bathroom which she'd been doing frequently these days she went to go find Dr. Shannon to let her know she was leaving.

She had stopped her other jobs and focused her attention on her internship. She received basic field medic training at Military school but she had a lot more to learn to continue her education. So her time was spent studying, working at the clinic, taking care of her mother and being sick.

She pushed the doors open and walked outside. "Skye" she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Tasha, hey" She replied plastering a smile on her face. She'd kind been keeping to herself, avoiding her friends. She wasn't ready to tell them about the baby.

"Did Josh talk to you?" Tasha asked smiling brightly.

"About what?" Josh had tried to talk to her this morning and she snapped at him. She felt terrible afterwards she didn't mean it but she was just so tired and it hadn't been a good morning. Her breakfast would not stay down and she was late for her shift. Dr. Shannon understood but her hormones apparently did not. So whatever he wanted to say he kept to himself as she walked away from him.

"We're throwing a birthday party for Max tonight. It's the big one-nine" Tasha said excitedly.

"Max's birthday, right" Skye replied, she felt bad that she had forgotten. She had a lot to deal with but she shouldn't forget her friends birthdays.

"It's just a small thing, but you know since everyone is still cleaning up the colony we didn't want to just forget it. We could all use a celebration."

"Yea, I'll be there" Skye replied. What she really wanted to do was crawl under the covers and sleep for a week but she couldn't just keep avoiding everyone. It was Max's birthday, she should be there.

"You will, great!" Tasha said surprised. Skye had basically become a hermit since everything went down. She knew she was involved in it but she didn't know how. "It's at 1900" she told her. Max would really surprised to see Skye there.

She knocked on the door; it was strange doing that since she used to live here. Her mother was thrilled that she was hanging out with her friends instead of staying home while she slept. She wanted to her to go out and be young.

"Skye, good, we still have a lot of setting up to do" Tasha said taking her hand and pulling her inside.

She saw Josh hanging up a banner across the ceiling. "Wow, she really put a lot of work into this" she said as she walked up to him, smiling.

"Yea, she been going crazy trying to get everything done" Josh replied. "They're dating" he added as he climbed down from the latter.

"Really!" she said shocked. "Good for them. I guess I've been out of the loop for awhile" Josh just nodded his head. "Look, Josh, I'm sorry about this morning" she said biting her bottom lip. "I was running late…"

"I know, you looked you were in a hurry. I shouldn't have stopped you." She was running down the street, but that was the first time he'd seen her in awhile he didn't know if he'd get another chance. It wasn't until after he gotten through his own issues, did he notice the changes in her. She was quieter and more reserved than the girl he met on his first day. After Kara's death so much had happened that he didn't really know what was going on with her. She and Taylor stumbled into the camp after his dad's return, Taylor had a pretty serious stab wound to his gut and she had dried blood from the cut on her forehead.

When she sat down with him, he wanted to ask her what happened but she kept her face away from his staring out into the jungle. So he kept quiet and figured he'd ask her later, they had both been through a lot. After that he didn't see her, she worked a lot or stayed inside talking care of her mother.

He overheard his parents talking about the part she had played the blowing up of Hope plaza. Without her it wouldn't have worked, his dad said. He didn't even know she was part of the plan, he didn't even know about the plan until his dad came back and told everyone. He compared her to Kara once, but that wasn't true, she was nothing like Kara she was unlike any girl he had ever met. And he missed talking to her. He didn't know why she was avoiding him. He tried to talk to Hunter, Max and Tasha about it but they told him they hadn't talked to her either.

"So we're cool?" she said with a small smile.

He nodded and smiled. "Yea, we're cool"

They finished setting up and went to hide because Hunter and Max were walking up to the door.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled as they entered.

"Wow" was Max's response, keeping his cool like always. "This is great, thanks guys"

"Happy birthday" She said walking up to him. She felt so awkward even though they've been friends for two years, he came over on the seventh pilgrimage.

"Skye!" he said, his eyes widening. "Is that really you? This is a surprise."

"Sorry, it's…I…"

"Doesn't matter" he replied and pulled her into a hug. "You're here now. So let's party!" he screamed and that got the whole room to scream.

And it just got louder from that point on. The music was turned up and everyone ran to the liquor. She mingled for a bit but as people got drunk she found a wall to lean against. And now she was trying not to fall asleep.

"Heeeyyy" Hunter slurred as he approached her and handed her a cup. She took it from him and smiled. She was good at pretending to drink or making up excuses as to why she wasn't or just saying no thanks. It wasn't just because of the baby, drinking wasn't really her thing anymore. It was after that one stupid night that she vowed to never let herself get that drunk again.

She looked at Hunter whose glazed eyes stared back at her. Things had been a little awkward between since he confessed his love to her. She let him down as gently as she could. She didn't see him that way, she only saw him as a friend, a brother.

""They're setting up of beer pong, you in?" he asked.

"I actually have to go to bathroom, so you go on ahead and if I happen to wander over there I'll play" Hunter smiled, nodded and took off in the direction of the crowd.

Skye sighed, placed the drink on the nearest table and made her way to the bathroom. She really did have to go.

She didn't feel like using the main bathroom, so she pushed her way through the crowd trying not to get shoved into the wall. Finally she broke through, this used to be her house she could still use the master bathroom. She walked down the hallway enjoying the quiet, only the slightly muffled sounds of laughter could be heard.

The door opened just as she reached it. "Mark" she said when he walked out.

He was startled but recovered and just nodded his head and moved to walk past her.

"Mark" she called out his name again.

He turned and she tried to meet his gaze but he kept looking away. She knew out all of the people she hurt, she hurt him the worst. She smiled weakly at him. He only talked to her when it was necessary.

It destroyed her to have to keep things from him, to lie to him. They had been through so much together, shared so much with each other. He was her best friend, the one person she could count on over anyone else. "Mark, please just look at me?" She begged.

Mark inhaled, exhaled and finally met her eyes. Now she had to look away from the sadness and pain in his eyes. "I wanted to tell you" she began. "The entire time, I wanted you to know"

"But you didn't" he replied tensely. "I told you everything; I've never kept anything from you. Because that's what we promised each other when we were seven years old." He said. She couldn't hide the guilt in her eyes as he continued. "I told you about Maddie and my feelings for her and that I'm going to marry her." He looked away. "And every day for three years you looked me in the eyes and lied to my face" His eyes locked onto hers. "After everything we've been through…done…it makes me think our friendship meant nothing to you"

"It means everything to me" she said loudly as she felt the water welling up in her eyes.

"No, if it did you wouldn't have kept this from me, Skye." He felt like he had been gutted by a Slasher tail when he found out Skye was the traitor. No news had hit him harder than that. Their parents had been friends; they'd known each other since they were in diapers. They rarely left each other side at Military school. They comforted each other when he thought they had both lost their parents to Syncyllic fever. She was someone he counted on to never let him down, never to lie to him.

"I kept it from you to protect you" She said trying to keep her voice steady. "You are the most honest and honorable person I know. I couldn't tell you because I couldn't make you keep that secret. And I know you would've you would've broken your code as an obligation to me." She closed her eyes and tried to swallow back the tears that were threatening to spill down her face. "I'm the liar; it was my cross to bear, not yours."

She tried, but she couldn't stop tears as they started to well up in the corners of her eyes. _No_ she screamed in her head, she couldn't start crying now. Her overemotional reaction to everything was starting to bother her more than the morning sickness.

She turned away from him. She placed her hands over her mouth because she was starting to make the chocking sounds as she started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Skye?" Mark asked his anger quickly replaced with concern. "Skye? What's wrong?" He'd never seen her like this; he didn't know what was going on. "Skye?" He said again as he touched her shoulder.

She pulled away from him. "No" she squeaked out. She didn't want him to feel sorry for her. That was not her intension. He had every right to hate her. She betrayed their friendship, his trust in her.

Mark grabbed her lightly, turned her around and pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. "Skye, your scaring me what's wrong?"

She pulled herself away from him and tried to wipe her tears. Mark was stood there with a confused look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"No…yes….I don't know" she replied. She couldn't stop crying, her nose was running like crazy, she probably looked like a mess. She ran into the bathroom, Mark followed her as she grabbed some tissues to blow her nose and wipe her face.

"Skye?" Mark asked. He'd never seen her just start crying like that. It was eating him up inside because he didn't know what was wrong. He was angry with her but he never stopped caring about her, something was really wrong.

She closed her eyes. If she wanted them to remain friends she couldn't hide things from him anymore. She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant" That was the first time she said those two words out loud. It felt good to tell someone, to tell him. She looked at Mark who looked like he had been hit by a sonic wave. He was stunned.

She waited patiently while he processed what she told him.

"You're…" he started trying to speak as he looked at her stomach.

"I'm due in May" she told him with small smile. Then she thought that they could've had this very conversation two years ago and they could've had a one and half year old running around. That would've been weird, so she was grateful she didn't get pregnant from their night together. Mark would've done the right thing; he always does the right thing and married her. They loved each other but they weren't in love with each other.

"May" he said. He was just going to repeat what she said until it all sunk in.

He found the person he was in love with and wanted to be his wife. So she was grateful for small miracles. He regretted that night more than she did, she felt bad for him. So she understood his need to be the proper gentlemen and do everything the traditional way, like he was doing courting Maddie Shannon.

"Who's the father?" He asked finally coming back to his senses.

She told him and he fell back against the sink, she told him that Taylor was there when she found out and that she hadn't told her mother. It felt so good to have everything out in the open; she had been keeping it bottled up for so long. She showed him the sonogram of the tiny blob that was her baby.

She asked him about Maddie and told him she couldn't think of a more perfect girl for him and how happy she was that he had found her. She then asked if he told Maddie about them. He said he did, he couldn't keep that from her she need to know. And that explained why the younger girl barely talked to her or couldn't look her in the eyes before she found she was the traitor.

"Have you seen Mark" She asked her brother who was dancing with some girl she didn't know. He shook his head.

"Mark, he was heading to the bathroom last time I checked" Some guy shouted at her. "The master one down the hallway"

"Thanks" she said doubting he heard her because he went right back to making out with the girl on his lap. She had never been invited to parties like these back in 2149. Her mom only let her go because Mark was going. She wasn't drinking and she didn't plan on it she just wanted to see what it was all about.

She had lost Mark about hour into it. He said something to her but she couldn't hear what it was over the noise and then he slipped away.

She walked down the hallway taking her away from the crowd. She saw him standing by the bathroom door as if he was guarding it. "Mark, what are you doing?"

"Maddie!" he said his face brightening. He walked over and embraced her.

Maddie heard the toilet flush and sink start running, then the door opened and Skye walked out.

She kicked Mark out because she really had to go at that point. She told him she wanted to go home because she was going to pass out and she didn't want to fall asleep here. He said he'd walk her home, she tried to protest, but she knew he was gentleman and would do it anyway.

"Skye's not feeling well" Mark told her. "I was going to walk her home, you know make sure she gets there" He said nervously. He knew Maddie was apprehensive around Skye since he told her.

"Do you want me to come with?" Maddie asked. Skye did look pale. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help but feel jealous. Skye was beautiful, independent, brave and adventurous. Things she could never be. How could she compare?

"You can, but I'm coming back afterwards" Mark said putting his hand on his girlfriends shoulder. His first time was a blur and a mistake but that's what happens when you mix liquor with loneliness. He couldn't get back his first time and he was semi-grateful it was with Skye and not some stranger he didn't care about. However he would do whatever it took to make his first time with Maddie special.

"I'll wait here for you" She said. She trusted Mark and Skye didn't seem interested in him that way; she seemed interested in her brother. And she didn't seem like the type to steal someone else's boyfriend.

Mark walked her to the door; she thanked him and walked inside. She made her way to the kitchen because she was kind of hungry. Then she saw it on the table, her pill bottle. She got nervous. _Did she forget and leave it out like that? _Dr. Shannon said she may find herself forgetting simple things, that was also part of being pregnant. But she wouldn't do something like that; she didn't remember taking it out of the bathroom.

Then her mother moved into her line of vision."Skye" her mother said softly. "Is there something your not telling me?"

Tbc…

* * *

><p>AN: Don't worry this is a Skye/Lucas story. They will be reunited, but I figured because of his injuries Lucas received from Skye. He wouldn't be up running around for awhile. He's a survivor not Superman.

A/N part 2: The Mark/Skye backstory is just something that popped into my head. They came over on the same pilgrimage and they were both involved in the Military so I figured they were friends.


	6. Chapter 6

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 6<p>

Silence filled the room as she stood there trying to think of something, anything to say while her mother looked at the pill bottle and back at her. The guilt was crushing her; she didn't have to do anything her mother spoke first. "I thought I remember you telling me that you were going to keep my medicine in your bathroom and I wanted to show I could remember to take them on my own…."

Deborah left the sentence hanging as she looked at her daughter. The daughter she had barely seen in three years and when she did she was so out it most of the time it felt like it was a dream. She didn't even know where her daughter was living, what she was doing. What kind of mother was she? Her daughter was out here living her life while she was in haze of pain and drugs.

Whatever Dr. Wallace had given was helping clear her mind. But when she saw the bottle in the bathroom she read the label over and over again before it finally sunk in. She looked at her daughter. "You're pregnant" she said to her.

Skye closed her eyes and bowed her head. Deborah's hand covered her mouth as she took a breath. She walked over to her daughter and pulled her to her chest.

She put her arm around her daughter and they walked to the kitchen. Skye sat down and she went to make some tea for them. While the water was heating up she turned to her. "How far along are you?"

Skye swallowed before answering. "Eight weeks"

Deborah sucked in her breath. "Eight weeks" She repeated. "Were you going to tell me?" She was sick but she should've been paying better attention. All the signs were there, her moods, her frequent trips to the bathroom, the fact that she always had the sink on. She was drowning out the sounds of her morning sickness.

"Eventually" She replied. She didn't want her mother to find out like this. She should've told her earlier.

The high pitched whine stopped the conversation momentarily. She poured the water in two cups and dropped the tea bags in. She walked over to the table and handed Skye one of them and sat down across from her. "The father, do you love him?"

That question caught her of guard; she was too shocked to reply. Love? She shouldn't even like him. She saw the cruelty he was capable of, but every time she was with him, she felt this pull towards him, a connection, a chemistry that she's never felt before. But love him? No, she couldn't love him she barely knew him. They just had really great sex that resulted in a baby. It was pure biology.

Deborah noticed her daughter's shock and took a sip of her tea to hide her reaction. She didn't want to think about it but her daughter was an adult, had been adult since her and Christopher had gotten sick. She could make her own choices. She asked her next question, hoping for a better answer. "Is he…going to be around to help out?"

Skye bowed her head and stared into her tea cup, not wanting to tell her mother what had happened, how she became pregnant. "He doesn't know"

"Skye!" her mother said admonished. "He should know" She didn't want to think about her daughter and someone else, but the father should know he was going to be one.

"He's not here for me to tell" She replied still refusing to look her mother in the eyes.

Deborah closed her eyes she was confused, she wasn't even close to being a hundred percent better. "What do you mean he's not here?"

"He's not here…in the colony…not anymore"

"Skye" She said. "Who's the father?"

Skye bit her lip as the tears started again, this time she didn't even feel them before they started running down her cheeks. "Lucas Taylor" she whispered

Now it was her mother's turn to be shocked. She knew what kind of man Lucas Taylor was. She remembered meeting him after his mother died. He was an angry young boy that turned into an angry and dangerous young man. She did see a hint of warmth underneath his cold exterior but it wasn't enough. The rage he held for his father had burned into his soul. She started coughing while she talked because the worst scenario just popped into her head. "Skye…you…didn't, not..for…."

Skye realized where her mother was going with that. "NO, mom no" she told her standing up and getting a glass of water for her. Her mother drank the water, she sat back down and grabbed her hand, holding it. "It was…after her taken over the colony" She told her sadly.

Her mother took deep breathes. "He didn't…?"

"No, I…went t to him" Skye said stopping her mother before she can finish what she was about to ask. "He was going to…hurt a friend of mine. I knew he wanted me so I…"

Deborah Tate fell back in her chair. You want your children to grow up and fall in love, get married and start a family. You know what that entails; you accept it as long as it happens in that order. She was young once too and she was far from being a saint. But you never want to think or know that your daughter gave herself to a man to save someone else. Deborah squeezed her daughters hand. She exhaled and shook her head. "Okay" She replied. She wasn't going to think about any of that anymore. There was going to be a baby, her grandchild. Babies are a joyous occasion and that is what they will make it. "We're going to have to clear out that extra room now" she said with a smile.

* * *

><p>She jumped out of the truck as soon as it stopped; she ran over to the nearest one and felt for a pulse. When they arrived her heart nearly stopped by the litter of bodies she a saw in front of her. The rest of the team went to check on everyone else. They were all still breathing. Their clothing was slightly charred, it seemed to be first degree burns but she needed to get back to the colony immediately.<p>

The Phoenix group hit them with a sonic pulse and stole all their weapons and rovers. "Get the stretchers" She ordered one of the soldiers that came with her. She pulled out her gauze bandages. Her com started ringing so she answered while she started wrapping the soldier's wounds. "Yes"

"Skye!" she heard Commander Taylor's worried voice.

"Yes, sir" She replied trying to not wrap it too tightly.

"What are you…you shouldn't be out there!" He told her trying to sound calm but she could hear from his voice that he was angry.

"No one else was around; I didn't have time to wait. The Phoenix Group used a sonic pulse" She told him. It had been over two months since her mother found out about the baby and for those two months they were all watching her like hawks. She was pregnant not an invalid. This was her job, she was doing her job.

She had still managed to keep the circle of the knowing to four. She started wearing baggier clothing a month ago so it would give her more time to hide it. Most people thought she was having weight issues because of the stress or she just didn't care about her looks anymore, none of them would guess she was pregnant. She was just glad the morning sickness was over with and she could actually enjoy eating food again.

"Okay, we'll have the infirmary ready. Hurry back" He ordered her sternly. She rolled her eyes, not looking forward to hearing another lecture about how she had to be careful now. She stood back while the soldiers loaded their wounded unconscious brethren in the trucks. She was listening to Dr. Shannon's orders, no heavy lifting but that didn't mean she couldn't wrap bandages and help out where she could.

The last solider was on the truck, she told the group with her to get in the trucks she was just doing one last check to make sure they had everything and everyone. She turned to get on the truck when she felt a sharp prick in her neck, her hand slapped at thinking it was a bug. She felt a small thin stick on the back of her neck; she winced as she pulled it out. She didn't have much time to contemplate what it was before everything went dark.

He caught her in his arms before she hit the ground and he placed her gently in the dirt. He walked over to the truck, pulled the door closed and tapped the side signaling them to move out. He smiled when they didn't look back and just drove off. They were certain no one else was around but he had been there waiting for his opportunity.

He looked over at her lying on the ground, she looked so sweet and innocent and they both knew she was neither of those things. He placed one arm under the bend in her knees and one under her back. He scooped her up and carried her off into the jungle.

Tbc…


	7. Chapter 7

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 7<p>

Slowly her mind came back into consciousness, she opened her eyes gingerly. She went to move her hands to rub her them and she couldn't. She struggled for a bit then shook her brain into focus; her hands were behind her tied around something. She positioned them on the floor and pushed so she could sit up.

Everything started spinning; she closed her eyes again and leaned back against whatever was behind her. She took deep breaths. Dr. Shannon said her blood pressure was low during the second trimester and that sudden quick movements would make her dizzy. She was right.

She continued to breathe slowly while she waited for the world to stop spinning. When it did she opened her eyes carefully, first one then the other and looked around. Blueprints covered every inch of the thin walls and strange contraptions littered the room, this was Lucas' place. She looked behind her and saw she was tied to a branch that came through the floor of his tree house.

She tried to break free but he had secured her tightly. She closed her eyes and sighed. Commander Taylor was right she shouldn't have come out here, she didn't think about what could happen. She had been stupid and reckless, her child wasn't even born yet and she put it in danger. She bowed her head she was already off to being a horrible mother.

She looked up when she heard footsteps, Lucas appeared in the doorway. She was shocked by how different he looked. His was thinner, haggard and unkempt; his hair had grown out and flopped in front of his face. But his bright green eyes were as intense as ever.

"Hello Bucket" he said with wide grin. "Miss me?" When he watched her perched from his spot on the hill, he thought he would see the fallout from her betrayal. But what he saw was his father walking side by side with her laughing and smiling, putting his arm on her shoulder and beaming down at her with pride. She saved his life, so all was forgiven. She was brave, adventurous, athletic, a soldier. The great Commander Nathanial Taylor was alive to rule Terra Nova again and now with the perfect child he always wanted by his side.

"What did you give me?" she asked. She suddenly remembered the sharp pain in her neck, she thought she might've been stung by something but that wasn't it. Something knocked her out. He knocked her out again.

"It doesn't matter" he replied surprised by her question that was not the first thing he expected her to ask.

"It does, what did you give?" She asked again now starting to worry. If she had been knocked out what happens to the baby? "WHAT DID YOU GIVE ME!" she shouted when he didn't reply. Her breathing increased and her heart beat sped up. She needed to see Dr. Shannon to make sure everything was alright and she also needed to calm down, freaking out wasn't good for the baby either, if the baby was still okay.

His eyes furrowed in confusion. "It's a harmless sedative, don't worry about it" he told her.

"Lucas…" she said breathing heavily. "I'm pregnant, what did you give me?" she begged as her eyes started watering. Then she saw the myriad of emotions cross his features and her breath hitched as she realized what she just said.

His mind was shocked and was slowly processing what she just said. "I'm sorry…you're what now?" he asked making sure he heard correctly.

"I'm pregnant" she said looking him in the eyes as she spoke.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck then a smile spread across his face and he laughed out loud. "Good one" he told her clapping his hands. "You almost had me there for a second" he said pointing his finger at her. "But from what I recall you're a good little actress"

"You think I'm lying?" She asked incredulously. "Why would I lie about that?" It never occurred to her that he wouldn't believe her. But she supposed after everything they've done to each other, trust was not at the top of the list.

"I don't know you seem to be really good at it" His anger returned as he remembered her betrayal. "I always believed you, wanted to believe you." The pain in his voice was raw and real. He thought he found someone that understood, but she was chose his father over him.

Her lips rubbed together. He was right she had gotten so good at lying it became second nature to her. She leaned back against the branch and slid her hands up it so she was standing up. She was a liar and a traitor why would anyone believe she's anything other than how she presented herself. But if he had taken her earlier she wouldn't have been able to show him. "Lift up my shirt."

He laughed again. "Fool me once" he said with a smirk. He really wished thoughts of her would stop invading his dreams. When he was with her he lost all rational thought, all he saw was her beauty, her warmth and he wanted to take that into him. She made him feel real, whole. Like the world hadn't abandoned him. He gave himself to her completely without regret. That's why her betrayal had burned so deep.

Skye rolled her eyes. "My hands are tied behind me, I can't really do anything" She told him. "I'm not that talented" she added with a sly grin. "Lift up my shirt and you'll see I'm not lying"

Lucas tilted his head curiously. It couldn't hurt to go along with whatever game she was playing. He walked over to her and got as close to her face as possible. He stared into her bright blue eyes and she stared right back. But he wouldn't be deceived again. He smiled as he placed his hand on her chest; her heart was beating rapidly against his fingertips. He sucked in his breath; he hated himself for still wanting her. But he couldn't hide his smile when she reacted to his touch, she still wanted him too. He slowly glided his hand along one of her breasts and cupped it. Surprised his eyes drifted downwards it felt fuller and thicker then he remembered. Then he looked at her and finally noticed she was wearing a shirt that was three times to big. He looked her in the eyes again and her eyes told him to go further, so he moved his hand lower.

His hand jolted in shock when he got to her stomach. He looked at her then slowly lifted her shirt. His breath caught in his throat as he stared down at her belly. It was slightly swollen and taut like she had been stung by something. He backed away from her in bewilderment.

"I can't fake that" She told him softly. She had actually just started showing, one day her belly just popped out. And she liked standing by the mirror and feeling her little bump and would wonder what her child would look like. Would it look like her or like him, what kind of personality would it have? "I was actually hoping to see you again, so you would know"

"Know what?" he asked unable to take his eyes from her protruding belly.

Skye bit her lip and tilted her head to the side. "Really?" she asked. Did he really not know what she meant or was he just being an ass again. She looked at him still wrapping his head around the fact that she was pregnant. He was still in shock. She'd help him out with that. "Congratulations you're going to be daddy" she told him with a small smile.

"Me?" he asked warily. "You expect me to believe I'm the father?"

"You really think that poorly of me?" now she was offended that he of all people would think she was some kind of slut. She knew she seduced him but was that the impression she gave off to people? Maybe it was.

"Well, you did shoot me, so forgive me for not trusting the person that tried to kill me" he told her bitterly.

She sighed, that was true. She hadn't forgotten that, she was grateful that he wasn't dead, that she didn't kill her baby's father. "I'm 18 weeks, Lucas. And I remember very clearly what I was doing or rather who I was doing. I can't forget"

Lucas backed up until he hit the side of his desk. He remembered what happened eighteen weeks ago, he couldn't get out of his mind either. But no, that wasn't his baby, it couldn't be. He squeezed his eyes tightly, hoping that when he opened them that this was all a dream.

Skye watched Lucas comprehending what she told him. She saw it in his face that he knew she was telling him the truth, that they were having a baby. "Can you untie me?" she decided to ask since all the traces of anger were gone. "I'm losing circulation in arms" He looked up at her like he had forgotten she was still there. "I'm not going to run out in the jungle. I don't only have myself to think about now"

He was still reeling from her announcement but he walked behind her and untied her hands. He watched as she rubbed her wrists and pulled her shirt down.

He wasn't focused on anything else but taking her, he waited for her to come out here alone, but they would never leave her side and now he knew why. He just wanted to get back at him. His father had taken everything from him; he had taken the one person that he loved more than life itself from him without a second thought. So now he had done the same. He just wasn't expecting the reveal she had in store in for him. _Pregnant _that was a complication he hadn't planned for, hadn't thought of. Now he didn't know what to do.

_A baby?_ He said to himself as he walked over to his desk and sank down in his chair to think. He never thought about having kids. His mind was too focused on destroying his father that there wasn't much room for anything else. He had been with very few women; they were only there to satisfy his needs. He told them upfront that he wasn't looking for anything long term and if they got too attached he sent them packing. Settling down and starting a family was never even on his docket of things to do.

He glanced up and saw her cross her arms across her chest and lean back against the branch she was just tied to. With the baggy shirt she was wearing he couldn't even see the bump, the tiny bump that was supposed to be his kid.

She had never seen Lucas look so lost, so vulnerable. She knew why he took her; he knew the Commander would come here looking for her. He wanted another chance to kill him. And she'd seen the look in Taylor's eyes when he found out Lucas had sex with her, now there would be a chance that the Commander would kill his son. She couldn't let that happen. She wasn't naive enough to think she could change him, but maybe becoming a father could help him see why his father did what he did. Terra Nova needed Commander Taylor, it could do without her, it would probably be better off. So she knew what she had to do to keep everyone safe, especially Lucas.

Tbc…


	8. Chapter 8

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 8<p>

Nathanial Taylor stood by the gates and watched as the trucks rolled in. The medical team was prepped and ready for the injured soldiers. The trucks stopped and everyone went into action. His eyes darted around in the commotion, he couldn't find her. His heart beat sped up quickly _where was she? _ He ran to the last truck and saw it was empty. "Where's Skye?" He demanded startling the solider nearest him.

"I don't know, Sir. She hit the truck signaling us to go" He said.

"And you didn't check to make sure she was in it?" He growled at the young soldier.

The solider knew he had screwed up. "No, Sir" he said weakly unable to meet the Commander's eyes. Skye told them they had to get back quickly so when he heard the bang on the truck he took off.

"Turn around and walk away" Taylor told him through gritted teeth. The solider cowered by the fire in his eyes didn't speak and just ran off.

He knew that he took her. He was trying to get back at him by using her. As if he already didn't do enough to her. He knew Skye would tell him about the baby to try to gain to his sympathy. But he didn't even know Lucas anymore; would he be capable of hurting an unborn child, his unborn child? He walked into the infirmary. "Sergeant Riley"

"Yes, Sir" she turned around with her hand at her forehead.

"Assemble four units of the best trackers we have, we're going into the jungle"

"When do you need them ready by?" she asked not sure what was going on but her job was to follow orders so that is what she would do.

"Immediately" He told her. She nodded and left. She had earned her promotion for her part in saving Terra Nova. He needed good people by his side after…he still had not gotten over her death. Every day he missed her which is why he couldn't lose Skye either, she was holding him together that and the thought of being a grandpa to her child.

He walked into an empty room and gripped the side of the table tightly, bowed his head and closed his eyes. He told her would protect her and again he failed. His head whipped around when he heard someone enter the room.

"I know we need to go get her, I get that. But don't you think that this was their plan?" Jim Shannon asked as he walked in the room with his wife. "They took her knowing you'd run out after her leaving the colony vulnerable to attack"

Taylor glared at the Sherriff. "I don't care what their plan is; I'm not leaving her out there"

"I should've paid attention…" Elizabeth Shannon said quietly with tears in her eyes. "We got so busy…."

"It's not your fault, Doctor. People needed help, Skye would've found a way to go to them" That was one of the things he admired and respected about her, but it also angered and worried him. Like her father she would run into things without thinking about the consequences.

"This is not a good idea, we know what those…" Jim began saying trying to get through to him.

"The Phoenix Group didn't take her"

"How do you know that?" Jim asked. There was no way to know what the Phoenix group was doing. They abandoned the colony and went off into the badlands.

"I just do!" He shouted back. "This is not a discussion; I'm not leaving Skye out there with him" He told Jim forcefully.

"Who?" Jim asked. "Lucas? You think Lucas took Skye?"Jim looked over at his wife who was packing supplies and medicine in a bag. She then walked over to Taylor and handed him the bag. He nodded, put the bag on his shoulder and walked out. "Elizabeth, you know this is a bad idea. He shouldn't go out there"

"He can't leave her out there, Jim. Not now" Elizabeth said with tears in her eyes.

"What do you mean not now?" He asked his wife. "I've seen Skye and while this is not a good situation, she can handle herself. They won't kill her, they need her as leverage"

"And that's what I'm worried about. She can't be leverage, it's too dangerous…she needs…'" Elizabeth bit her lip before she would say more. She promised Skye she wouldn't tell anyone.

"She needs what?" Jim asked worried. "Elizabeth, what am I missing?" Elizabeth closed her eyes as she started crying. "Elizabeth?" Jim asked going to his wife.

"She's pregnant" she told her husband as tears streamed down her face.

Jim's eye brows rose in shock. "What?" he asked breathlessly.

"She's eighteen weeks"

"Pregnant?" he asked again just trying to fathom that. "How?" he knew how. "When?" he knew that too. "Who?" his mind finally getting the question he wanted to ask.

Elizabeth looked out the door where Taylor had just exited. When she revealed the secret that they had both been keeping she saw him stop and listen. She had betrayed Skye's trust, but she was in danger and Jim needed to know about her pregnancy so he would know how seroius this situation was. She looked back at her husband. "Lucas"

Her husband stumbled back in shock. "Lucas" he repeated, his mind was slowly processing the information, _pregnant...meant that... _"When? When did she…and him?"

"It's why he let Josh go" Elizabeth told him as her hand covered her mouth letting the tears spill down her face. She knew that they both been taken to the Brig after their altercation with Lucas.

"What?" _Oh God, no_. He thought to himself. When Lucas had said Josh could go, he sighed in relief and then his attention was solely focused on getting Lucas to confess what happened in Somalia in 2138. But now his eyes closed and he flashed back to those words. _"I was persuaded otherwise"_

He saw her in standing just outside the door with her arms crossed by her chest looking alone and vulnerable. _Oh God!_ He screamed in his head, remembering when Lucas got in his face, he smelled a hint of vanilla. He walked back bumping into a desk; he had seen them both right after it happened. He was going to be sick. He faltered and sank back against the desk that was holding him up.

He thought Skye was trouble the moment he found her with Josh skipping orientation. She had that rebellious glint in her eyes of someone that enjoyed taking risks. And then she had almost gotten Josh killed when they went OTG. But Josh told him if Skye wasn't there they would've all been dead; she took charge and saved all of their lives. While he wished she hadn't taken his son out there in the first place he was thankful she had been there.

After he discovered she was the spy he was given access to her records and was surprised to learn that she had been trained as a soldier. She had been the youngest student accepted into a prestigious Military school, where she received high marks in weaponry, tactical maneuvers, and military strategies. She had been the leader of her unit and her commanding officers had all thought she would go far in the military. Then her father died and she dropped out.

She was taught to think quickly and to reach the best outcome which is why she had gotten away with being a spy for so long. She knew what she needed to do and she did it. But she was just a kid, she shouldn't have had to do any of things she's done.

He ran out after Commander Taylor, he understood now. "I'll go with you" He was there and did nothing; he didn't even thank her for saving Josh's life, twice.

Taylor looked at Jim. "No, you're right if this was the plan then we need to be prepared to defend the colony." He needed to get Skye back but he couldn't leave the colony without protection. "Riley, I want you to coordinate with the Sheriff. I want every look out station heavily manned and heavily armed. Set up a perimeter around the inside, no one but our people get through those gates, alive. Understood"

"Yes, sir" she replied.

Taylor turned to face Jim. "I need you here, your family needs you here to keep the colony safe" Jim nodded and Elizabeth walked over and slid her hand in her husband's.

"I'm coming with you" a male voice said from the behind them. Commander Taylor turned around. "…Sir" Reynolds added from the Commanders glower. "If she's out there, I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing."

The Commander searched the young man's face. Of course Skye told him, they'd been friends since before they could walk. Mark was follower not a leader, so coming up to him and demanding to go with was not something he would normally do. "Get in" he told the young soldier. "Move out!" he ordered.

* * *

><p>She followed him without have any idea where Lucas was taking her. They kept going deeper and deeper into the jungle; the foliage was getting thicker and greener. She didn't care as long as it kept him away from the colony. She had persuaded him to leave the tree house before Taylor and his army arrived. Just like she had been taught to do during abductions, she chose her words carefully so he would think it was his idea. Their entire relationship thus far was built on deception and betrayal, why not continue the trend.<p>

"Oh!" she said suddenly stopping in her tracks. "Whoa"

"Skye?" He asked turning his head towards her. She had stopped and had both her hands covering her stomach. He went over to her, his eyes darting around worried, thinking she'd been hurt "What's wrong?"

"The baby moved" she said still a little stunned from the movement she was feeling. She reached one of her hands out and leaned it against a tree. It felt so strange. Then she smiled this was a good sign, right? It meant the baby was okay. It must've been startled when the sedative wore off. "This is the first time I felt it move" she told Lucas as she looked up at him. "You should feel this" she said excitedly grabbing his hand and placed it on her stomach.

Lucas was surprised when she took his hand, placed it on her belly and covered his hand with hers. He scanned her face and saw the elation in her eyes, the relief that her baby was okay. He was still trying to digest that she was pregnant. Thinking of the baby as living, moving person was still too hard to comprehend. He pulled his hand out from under hers and took a few steps back. "Can you walk? We should keep going" he said turning away from her. This was still too much to take in.

The only thing he did know was that he didn't want his father anywhere near this child. His father was no doubt on his way to rescue her, to take them both away. He would not allow his father to take anything else from him.

Skye nodded still amazed by the stirring coming from inside her belly. Her baby was there; alive and kicking it's tiny limbs. She didn't even realize it was Lucas' hand she grabbed, even though he was the only person with her. She just wanted someone else to validate that what she was feeling wasn't just her imagination.

It wasn't until he asked her a question did she remember where she was and who she was with. The baby had stopped moving so she walked over to Lucas who had been waiting for her to catch up.

* * *

><p>He stood in the middle of Lucas' tree house looking all of his drawing and equations. If he had been a better father and noticed his son's decent in madness sooner, maybe there would've been something he could've done. He threw himself into his work so he wouldn't think about what he had done. Visions of her still haunted him, his beautiful Ayani. Lucas was too young to understand what went on between them in those last few moments of her life. She chose to die to save him. He meant what he said to Lucas, that he was forever grateful that she wasn't alive to see the man he became.<p>

"I don't think anyone's been here for awhile" Curran said from the door way. "It's empty"

Taylor shook off his thoughts and started scanning the room for clues. Curran had led them to Sixer camp and what they found was an abandoned mess. The placed had been scavenged. But he wouldn't leave without checking out Lucas' place.

His eyes closed as he kneeled down and picked up a long strand of blond hair.

"That could've been left over from before, she was the only one he allowed in his room" Curran said. He was just as surprised as anyone when he saw Skye Tate walk into the camp. He never would've picked her to be a traitor. Then he found out why, so when the Commander asked him about it he didn't want to give her up. They were only keeping her mother alive because of the intel she provided them.

"They were here" Taylor told him and touched the rope that was tied around a branch. "She was here" he held the rope in his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"She had to have known you'd come for her, why didn't she just get him to stay?"

"Because she knew it was trap" Mark said joining them in the room. "She wasn't going to let him get another chance to kill the Commander."

He wished she would stop thinking about his life and worry about her own. He dropped the rope and stood up. If anything happened to her and the baby he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He ordered the soldiers to expand the search areas and report to back him with anything that could lead to their whereabouts.

Even if he had to search this whole goddamn planet to find her, he would bring her home.

Tbc…


	9. Chapter 9

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 9<p>

They continued their trek in silence. He walked in front of her without looking back trusting her to follow him. "Lucas" she called out his name, he continued walking. "Lucas, I need to stop to rest"

He stopped and turned around. "We don't have time, I don't know how far behind us they are"

"It's not for me" She told him. "And I need to eat something"

Lucas studied her; unsure if he should trust her, his instincts told him yes, but they had let him down before. So many questions rolled through his mind, she wouldn't be asking to stop so they would get caught, would she? Was she lying to him again? Or did she really need to stop because of the… he couldn't bring himself to finish his thought, saying it would make real and he wasn't ready to deal with that yet. He looked up at her and her beautiful turquoise eyes pleaded with him, he couldn't say no. "Fine, we can rest for five minutes" He slid his bag of his shoulder and unzipped it. He reached in his bag and tossed her a piece of fruit.

She caught it, sat down on a flat rock and took a bite. As she chewed she looked around. She'd never been this far in the jungle before. It was like entering another new world. They were enveloped in a canopy of trees as tall as the buildings in the domes in the future. The array of vivid colors spread out before her was breathtaking. There were beds of blossoms in pinks and reds. Little yellow flowers peeked out between gnarled roots. Clumps of bright orange, deep crimson and white blooms cascaded down branches. If she wasn't in her current situation she would marvel at the beauty of it.

Lucas was suddenly in front of her holding out a canteen of water. "Thanks" she said and took it from him.

When she saw him attacking Taylor, the solider in her came out and she acted on instinct, aim for the biggest center of mass, shoot to kill not to wound. "Who saved you after I shot you?" she asked.

He looked at her as he finished chewing. "Mira" he replied.

Skye nodded, now wondering what Mira wanted from him. That woman didn't do anything unless it furthered her agenda. She knew how to come to you when you were at your weakest.

After her father died and she knew her mother didn't have much longer. So she took a bottle of his whiskey and went to the only place that calmed her down, Snakehead falls.

_The sun beat down on her, she could feel it burning her skin but she didn't care, she tipped the bottle back, her face scrunched up as she forced the liquid molten down her throat. She had to take deep breaths afterwards she'd never drank liquor as strong as this before. It was her father's favorite; he was saving it for a special occasion. _

_She sank to the grass and took another swig eliciting the same reaction. She stared out across the stream at the equations that were written on the rocks. For some reason studying them always calmed her down. Quantum Physics was never her top subject but she got the basics. One side had something to do with the portal and the time fracture, the others were unfinished._

_She heard someone come up from behind her it was too late for her to do anything and in her semi drunken state she wouldn't have been able to do much anyway. She turned her head and saw a woman standing there. She was tall, toned, and dressed in jeans and a light grey tank top. _

"_Jameson's, that's expensive whiskey" she said to her with a smirk. _

"_It's my dad's, he's not going to miss it, he's dead" she told her taking another drink. _

"_I'm sorry to hear that" The woman said without putting any emotion behind the words. She stood next to her and stared out at the rocks. "I'm Mira" _

"_I know who you are" she told her without looking at her. She had arrived on the Sixth pilgrimage two months ago. She noticed them because they had to be the fittest pilgrimage to come through the portal. They all looked like athletes. She also noticed that very few children came through with them. She heard they were mostly lottery winners but she still found it odd and made a mental note of it. _

_Mira smiled. "I figured you would, you don't miss much do you?" she turned to look at her now._

_Squinting from the sunlight she looked up at her. "What do you want?"_

_Mira tried to look appalled by the question. "What makes you think that I want something?" _

_She sighed. "You wouldn't have followed me out here, if you didn't"_

"_I knew you were a clever girl, I just wasn't aware how" Mira replied._

"_So what do you want?" she asked again more forcefully she wasn't in the mood to play games with this woman._

_Mira smiled at her. "What if I told you I can save your mother?"_

"_I would say you were lying. There is no cure for Syncyllic fever" she said stoically. _

"_There's no cure that those overpaid government peons know about" Mira told her with malice in her voice. "There is a cure out here" She said throwing her hands out. "In the place they don't want you to see. The jungle is filled with plants and herbs that can cure any ailment." She paused to let her mind take that in. "There is a cure for Syncyllic fever and I have it"_

_She put the bottle down and looked up at the woman. "And why would you help me, I'm nobody"_

_Mira smiled and came down to her level. "I figured we could help each other, Skye" she said using her name for the first time showing her she knew exactly who she was talking too. _

"_And how would I be helping you?" she asked curious now. These people were on her radar, she saw the way they looked at each other when they passed each other in the streets. Taylor would tell her she was being paranoid and maybe she was thinking about what they were up to keep her mind focused on something other than her parent's dying. _

"_By doing what you already do so well…listen" she said to her. "Listen and observe, tell me what's going on with the colony and I'll save your mother"_

She wasn't drunk enough where her mind wasn't working, she knew what she had agreed to do. She knew it was wrong and she knew what the outcome would be if she got caught.

It would've have destroyed Taylor if he knew that she knew about the Sixer rebellion beforehand. But that distraction and the chaos it caused was the only way for them to get her mother out of the colony unnoticed. No one would question her mother's empty bed they'd assumed that someone else took her out to be buried in the mass grave with the others. It wasn't hard for her to pretend that's what happened, the guilt had torn her up inside. Taylor found her drunk and inconsolable on the floor of her house. She knew the risks and she knew she couldn't stand by and watch her mother die, not when they had a cure.

* * *

><p>She didn't say anything else when they continued walking. He finally stopped when they reached a small clearing of trees that had leaves so long they touched the ground. Her brows furrowed as she watched Lucas walk around like he was searching for something.<p>

He walked over to one of the trees and reached his hand up. He pulled his hand down quickly and she watched in amazement as a wooden latter descend down the trunk. "Let me test it" he told her and began to climb up and was swallowed up by the tree.

"It sturdy" he said as he came back down. She nodded grabbed the first rung and climbed. He smiled to himself, no hesitation at all. Her recklessness always excited him. He followed her up.

She looked up as she reached the top and saw that the ladder led to an opening of a wooden platform. She poked her head through and pulled herself up. This was another tree house, probably the first one he built, all the furniture was more crudely put together. There was a desk and a chair in the far corner, a table with another chair and a bed put together with what she guessed was bamboo and dinosaur skin.

"This is where I lived after I was banished from Terra Nova" Lucas told her hoisting himself up. He lay flat on the ground and pulled the ladder up closing the gap in the floor. "No one will find us out here"

_Great_ she thought to herself, she really didn't think all the way through with this plan. She wanted to get Lucas away from the colony and she succeeded but now what? She was supposed to be a brilliant strategist but all she really seemed to be good at was getting herself out of one situation and put into another.

She walked over to his desk, her hands leaving prints in the dust. She looked over the desk and saw faded blueprints of the portal and earlier versions of his equations, the same ones she'd seen on the rocks. She turned her head slightly and saw him standing across the room. She turned around and leaned against the desk.

An awkward silence descended across the room as neither of them knew what to do or say next.

He sat down on the chair rubbed his hands along his thighs to his knees, then clasped his hands in-between and brought his lips to his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. He breathed out loud then peered up at her.

"So what now?" she asked tired of the silence. It was already too quiet out her in the depths of the jungle.

Lucas swallowed. "I don't know, I wasn't prepared…prepared for this" he told her avoiding looking anywhere but at her. Because all he saw now was that swollen bump.

"You think I was?" she asked incredulously. She knew she had three months to deal with her pregnancy but that didn't mean she was anymore prepared for this than him. "Because being a teen mom was always my life's ambition" Lucas' eyes widened from her remark.

Skye licked her lips. "I kind of knew, before Dr. Shannon told me I was pregnant." She gave a small laugh. "I tried to ignore it, tried to pretend that it wasn't possible. But I knew that it was."She paused to meet his eyes. "I'm eighteen Lucas, I wasn't ready for this either, but it happened. We're having a baby. And if you can't deal with that, then what am I doing here?"

"I don't know" he replied. "…I don't know what I'm doing anymore" he told her rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair, he had a plan but everything got turned upside down the moment she announced she was pregnant with his kid. He couldn't be a father; he didn't know the first thing about being father besides how to hate his.

"Well you better decide" she told him. "It dangerous out here for me"

Lucas jumped from his chair. "I won't ever let anything happen to you" he told her firmly walked over and stood right in front of her. "I'll protect you, both of you" his face inches from hers, his electrifying green eyes locked into hers.

She saw the determination in his face and knew that he meant what he said. Whatever betrayals and lies had happened before, things were different now. She was still confused about her feelings for him. There was something between them and she knew he felt it too.

He was beautiful, dangerous and wild just like the jungle. He was a man whose hatred ran so deep he lost his humanity along the way. If they were going to raise this baby together she would have to do her best to find what Lucas had lost, his heart.

Tbc…


	10. Chapter 10

Consequences and Changes

**WARNING** - Rated M for mature content

Summary: Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 10<p>

Jim Shannon looked out at the rows and rows of endless trees. The jungle was silent as if telling him all he needed to know. It had been two days and they hadn't found her yet.

He berated himself for not doing anything in regards to Skye. He remembered that smugness on that bastard's face when he said she had persuaded him to not kill Josh. If he knew then what had happened….Lucas would not have made it out of Terra Nova alive. But he didn't know and he let Skye continue her charade to convince Lucas she was on his side. She said she could. Jim closed his eyes and bowed his head. If only he had known.

Now she was out there again, with him, with a baby on the way. She was eighteen, not that much older than Maddie. She shouldn't have to be dealing with this. She should be here with her mother, hanging out with her friends being a kid.

He handed the binoculars to solider next to him. "Keep looking the minute you see any movement, notify me" He told the young soldier.

"They'll find her" The solider replied.

Jim gave him a weak smile and nodded. He really hoped they would find her soon. They needed to find her soon; there were too many dangers out there and that's not even including the man she was with. He climbed down the ladder and walked to the infirmary.

Elizabeth turned around when entered; her face fell when she saw he had no news. She turned away from him and finished wrapping the bandages of one of the soldiers Skye had gone out to rescue. When she finished he followed her into an empty exam room.

Malcom was helping with Deborah, they had to sedate her after she found out Skye had been kidnapped. They had just been reunited and they were separated again, she couldn't begin to imagine what that poor woman was going through. She was still sick and this wasn't going to help her recovery. She couldn't face the woman, knowing that she could've prevented this if only she had been paying more attention.

Jim rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, walked over and leaned against a cabinet. He looked at his wife who stood in the middle of the room holding her arms across her chest. "It's only been two days" she said trying to tell herself anything that would make it seem better than it was.

Jim walked over to her and put his arms around her and she turned around and fell against his chest. "It's my fault"

"No" Jim said to her. "Taylor's right, Skye would've found a way to go out there, with or without anyone's permission. That she's been doing for three years." He added with weak laugh.

"She needs so much right now" Elizabeth said pulling away from him. "Check ups, her pre natal vitamins…we have an appointment to find out the gender in two weeks" It felt like just this morning Skye was here with her excitedly talking about it with her. She wanted to know the sex of her baby; she wanted to get the baby's room ready with her mother.

"And she'll be here for that appointment" Jim told his wife.

Elizabeth's hands went to her mouth as horrible thoughts filled her head. What if they didn't find her? She'd have to give birth out there in the jungle with only that psycho at her side. What if there were complications? Her eyes started welling up with tears. "Skye can't be out there, when the baby comes"

"Baby?" Jim and Elizabeth whipped their heads around at the sound of the voices.

"What baby?" A shocked Josh and Maddie said from the doorway. The whole colony knew that Skye was missing, that wasn't something they could hide especially since Commander Taylor had gathered a team together quickly and left. That was two days ago and he hadn't returned.

"Skye's pregnant?" Maddie asked, her mind reeling from that piece of information. The second Mark heard Skye was missing; he just got up and left saying he had to find her, she couldn't be out there alone. When he discovered Skye was the traitor she saw how hurt he was by her betrayal, they talked about it for hours. Then they seemed to have made up at Max's birthday party because he was always running around doing errands for her, helping her carry anything she had in arms even if it was just her Plex. Now she knew why.

Elizabeth Shannon looked over at Josh, who was standing still processing everything. She didn't want him to ask who the father was; she didn't want to have to tell him.

"She can't be…"He was having trouble thinking, let alone forming complete thoughts all he kept going back to was. _Skye's pregnant?_ That wasn't possible. He would've noticed. Who could she have been sleeping with? She didn't talk to anyone, how could she have been….

"Did they know… when they took her?" Maddie asked. She was worried about Mark now. Mark told her about a training exercise at military school, they were supposed to rescue someone that had been captured by the enemy. Their unit approached the enemy camp but it was trap. They were told to fall back and retreat, but he didn't want to he knew it was just a training exercise, but he always thought of them as the real thing. So that meant going back lessened the POW's possibility of survival. He waited until the rest of the unit left; if it didn't work and he got caught it would only be on him. He was studying the layout when he saw her kneel down next to him. He told her to leave. She just shook her head and he knew she wouldn't. She came up with a plan that involved quite a lot more risks then he had planned. Their commanding officer kept yelling at them to fall back. They did manage to rescue the fake doll that was the POW. They both got in trouble for disobeying a direct order and were on latrine duty for five months. But they had admired their bravery and Skye's unwavering loyalty to not leave a soldier in her unit behind. So she knew that Mark would stop at nothing to rescue Skye.

"No, I don't think so" Jim answered his daughter. The colony, like he originally thought, that it was the Phoenix group but they hadn't attacked and they had plenty of time, which meant that they didn't know and Lucas had done this on his own. He wasn't ready to tell them that, because that would bring up questions about Lucas and he didn't want to think about it, let alone tell his kids why Skye was out there pregnant with Lucas' child.

* * *

><p>She woke to smell of cooked meat. She sat up, she hadn't meant to fall asleep. She was just bored she wasn't used to not having anything to do.<p>

"I thought you might need some protein…for the…so I...it's uh Pteranodon" Lucas told her staring down at the table and not looking at her.

"Did you happen to get barbecue sauce while you were out there? She asked and smiled when he finally looked her in the eyes. "Kidding, I knew I wouldn't be that lucky" she said smiling and pulled out the chair and sat down. They hadn't really talked much after her promised to protect her; they'd have stilted conversations filled in with strained silences. He wouldn't even share the bed with her.

He handed her portion of the meat and sat down across from her. The room filled with the sound of them chewing. She was imagining she was eating BBQ Ptera wings from the market and it was making her meal taste a little better. She wasn't really having any cravings, she just always seemed to be hungry.

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

She was so surprised by the question she stopped mid chew. She swallowed loudly, this was the first time he ever asked her a question directly about the baby. "No, it's…it's too early" She was supposed to find out in a two weeks, but she doubted she would be making that appointment.

Lucas nodded and started back down at his food. He still didn't know what he was doing. His mind was trying to process everything. It still felt like dream and he'd wake up there wouldn't be a baby it would just be Skye. His father would've come, riding on his white horse to rescue her and he would've finally finished him off. But that's not how it happened. He failed again and he hated failing.

And now she kept looking at him, wanting him to know what to do. She turned his whole world upside down even before the baby announcement. What was he supposed to do? He felt so lost and confused and that angered him. How would he know what to do? This was never part of his plan. She probably thought his father woud know what to do. He was already taking care of her. He felt his anger start to rise. He would be the one protecting her, not him.

She stared at the top his head as he finished eating his dinner. She supposed she should be grateful that he was at least asking about the baby. It meant that he was at least thinking about it. But he really needed to grasp the whole picture. They had some time but these past four months had passed so quickly. They needed to talk about it. "Lucas?"

"Yes" he answered, keeping his eyes on the table.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" she asked him. She couldn't just sit around her like nothing was going on.

"I told you I don't know!" He shouted at her pounding his fists on the table, his breathing rapid.

Skye was startled and jumped in her seat. She glared at him, pushed her chair back and stood up. "Well shouting at me sure isn't going to anything." She told him. "This may not be real to you yet, but it's real to me. I heard our baby's heart beat; I saw it moving around…I feel it moving around." she said placing her hands on her stomach "We have to be ready because this baby will be coming in five and half months with or without you" Lucas just stared up at her. She shook her head and sighed. "I'm tired" she turned away from him and made her way towards the bed.

"Skye" he said softly standing up, he didn't mean to yell. She stopped but didn't turn to face him. "I don't…I'm…" he bowed his head. All those things she said were true and he knew it. It was just too hard to deal with, to unknown. "I don't know what to do, what you want from me? I don't know...how to be a father" his voice broke as he said that to her.

"You don't think I'm scared?" she said as she turned around. "I'm terrified" And she was she acted like she had all together, that she could do this, handle this. But the truth was she didn't think she could. This was another life she was responsible for, a tiny life that depended on her to keep it safe. She was already doing a horrible job at that. She was out in the jungle as far away from medical help as she could get.

He closed the space between them and stood in front of her. "Skye" he whispered. He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't think of what to say. He'd never thought he'd be in this situation. He was scared and confused. He didn't even think that she would be too. And on top of that he had this overwhelming need to kiss her. The few women that he had been with meant nothing to him. They were distractions and he didn't want any of that. Then she came along and all he wanted to do was see her, be near her. Somehow she had managed to wake emotions in him that he didn't know were there. "Skye" he said her name again, his voice deep and husky.

She hated the effect he had on her, no one had that effect on her before. The strength emanating from his body overwhelmed her. His nearness, raw and male and sensual, somehow transforming her frustration and anger into an all consuming hunger for him. She looked up at him through hooded lids, licking her lips, her blue eyes darkening with desire. God, but she wanted him, and as if he could read her mind, Lucas lowered his head, his sensuous mouth hovering dangerously above hers for a tenuous, breathless moment, before he suddenly crushed his parted lips to hers, covering them, tasting them, claiming them.

This is what he wanted to do the moment he solved his equation, this is what he denied himself. And that was extremely difficult with her standing there so close to him. He didn't know when wanting her had overtaken his need to beat his father. He couldn't let happen, wouldn't let that happen, not then. But now he wanted nothing else. He didn't know what he was going to do about the baby, but he knew what he wanted now.

They needed to talk, they didn't need this. Or maybe they did. She had dreamed about this, her need to be with him again overwriting everything else in her mind. She had to be honest with herself, she wanted him before she took him to bed. When he kept calling her his sister, it made her second guess her attraction to him, but when he touched her it sent shivers through her entire body. She was disgusted with herself for letting him have that affect on her. She thought she liked Josh, he was cute and he was new. But when she met Lucas, everyone else disappeared. It was like Lucas ignited a flame inside her that only he could extinguish.

His hand tangled in the hair at the back of her head, grasping the strands in his fist. She whimpered and he groaned. Kisses grew deeper, hotter, harder, leaving them both breathless. He leaned his forehead against hers, eyes closed, his hands still tangled in her hair, they stood this way silently for a moment, bodies straining against one another.

She shouldn't be doing this, but her brain was slowly losing all rational thought. She leaned forward her lips covered his tenderly, as his hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her against him, his erection growing and stirring as it pressed into her belly. Unable to take it anymore her hands slid down his chest pulling, tugging, releasing his shirt from his belt. Lucas helped her pull his shirt over his head. Her lids fluttered down as she touched her lips the warm skin of chest, her mouth and her hot, uneven breath grazing him, her tongue flicking over one of his hardened nipples. Lucas groaned, the heat of his eyes followed, watching her kiss and lick and caress him with her mouth. Breathing erratically, he took her face in his hands, lifted it to his, and trembling with desire for her, he closed the distance between them swiftly, crushing his mouth to hers, kissing her hotly. Hard. As though he were a drowning man, and she his life's breath.

He broke the kiss, trailing his fingers from her face to her sweatshirt, lifting it over her head. Sweatshirt and bra joined his shirt on the floor. Her hands reached for his belt buckle, tugging it, undoing it, unzipping, and pushing his pants and boxers away impatiently. His penis bobbed from the sudden freedom. She wrapped her hand around him, his thick shaft throbbed against her grasp as she skimmed her fist up his length. He moaned not wanting to think about who else she's done for this for. Her name came out in a breathly whimper as she pumped him, measured him, explored him.

He wanted her even more now, he gripped her wrist stopping her and slid his hands in her pants pushing them down along with her panties. His hands went to her shoulders as he led her towards the bed. "Lucas" she said softly. "I can't be on my back"

He flipped them around, sank down on the bed bringing her on top of him. She straddled herself around his hips and he was kissing her again, their tongues battling for dominance, his hands running along her back. His mouth left hers, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, to her collarbone, he took one of her breasts into his mouth,suckling it. She moaned and arched, his hands and arms supporting her back.

He pulled his mouth from her breast, that was enough he needed to be inside her. He grasped his base and shifted forward and guided himself to her, her hips jerked when his tip brushed her entrance. His hands went to her ass to support some of her wieght as she curled her free hand around the strong column of his neck as his eyes rose to meet hers while she wriggled to settle him more firmly in place. They stared into each others eyes as his hands held her up for a moment and then her breath hitched and her eyes widened from the friction of his pointed head sliding deeper amongst her slippery folds.

She started to ride him, drawing herself up his length and then crashing back down;His manhood filled and stretched her, lanced its way through her slippery slick flesh to find her roiling core. He was kissing her wildly, hungrily. Waves of fire washed across her skin; surging blasts of pleasure filled her as his shaft slid in and out of her; she gasped and panted when his hands grabbed her ass again and he pulled himself up, his mouth finding her breasts, his hips bucking to match her.

His hands squeezed and massaged her ass, pushing and pulling to add impetus to their rocking, rolling motion and helped to maintain their pace. Her hands ran the length of his back, feeling his muscles shift and flex, her hands occasionally digging into his hair to massage his scalp. His sucking lips created delicious tension on her nipples as he lavished attention on first one and then the other.

Lucas was quickly losing control as he screamed out her name. He had never wanted someone as badly as he wanted her. He pumped into her as her back arched into a taut, vibrating bow as the lightning vortex of her climax burst through her nerves to lock her muscles. Her arms were curled around his neck and she pulled him tight against her breasts while her channel contracted in a vice like grip around his thick, adamantine shaft. A tight, twisting squeezing compression while every other part of her conspired to tear apart as wildfire bliss overloaded her nerves. The freezing tension in her muscles gave way to random contraction and relaxation that made her shudder as her sex rippled around him.

His breath was hot against her cleavage and then his hands clutched hard at her ass and he let out a strained groan that swelled into a muted roar as his hips bucked. Skye cried out again as his hard, unyielding staff, swelled, pulsed and shifted against her snug flesh and she felt the liquid heat of his seed join the waves of her gushing juices. Her body shook and shuddered as her orgasm rampaged through her system. Her blood seemed to sing with joy even as her lungs burned and she panted and whined while she tried to find enough air and they clutched at each other.

He dropped back onto the bed and she had no recourse but to follow, she laid on his chest, stretching out her legs as they both attempted to catch their breath.

She felt him twitch as the firmness of her belly touched his. She rolled off of him to lay on her side, her mind slowly coming back into focus. What was she doing? There were people out there looking for her, trying to save her and she was here having sex with him, again. She looked at him, now it was his turn to stare up at the ceiling, unable to meet her eyes. The baby once again on both their minds. She couldn't forget and now he couldn't either. She sometimes wished this didn't happen, but then she felt guilty thinking the baby would think it wasn't wanted. She did want this baby. She just couldn't do it by herself.

He laid on his back, feeling her taut belly agaisnt his reminded him that it wasn't just the two of them anymore. He felt the bed shift and turned his head slightly to see that she turned away from to face the wall. His hand moved to reach out to her, he wanted to reach out to her but he couldn't. He wished he knew what to do. He wished he were better at this. He was good with numbers, equations, calculations, not with people.

Tbc…


	11. Chapter 11

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 11<p>

She opened her eyes and saw him sitting on his chair at his desk; he turned to look at her when he heard her shifting in the bed. "Your clothes are next to you" he told her softly.

She sat up with the blanket covering her and put her clothes on. Their night of passionate love making still lingered on her skin. She sat on the edge of the bed staring back at him. Everything that happened between them felt like it happened in a blur. She felt like she had just met him on the day he gave her mother a blanket and now they were having a baby. She wanted him to know, he deserved to know that they had created this tiny life together. But now was even more lost than before. "There is only question I need answered." She said getting his attention. "Do you want this baby?" Lucas looked at her with the same intensity as his father and it scared her a little.

"Yes" he replied. He surprised himself with his answer. He never really voiced it in his head, despite the fact that he was up half the night thinking about it. He never reached a conclusion until she asked. He didn't know how or what to do but he did want the baby, he wanted the baby with her. He could imagine a life with her by his side with a kid running around. He never thought he'd be able to see that but with her he did.

Skye was shocked that he answered so quickly. She knew they both weren't ready to be parents, but they didn't have a choice now. They both wanted the baby so that was start. "I'm hungry" she said not knowing what else to say.

He was grateful that she said that, hunting is something he could do.

* * *

><p>Taylor trudged onwards through the dense jungle beads of sweat ran down his forehead, the humidity was almost unbareable and he was exhausted but he would not give up. She was out here, he had to find her.<p>

She had left nothing behind, for fear of Lucas finding out or fear of them following her. She had made her choice to save him. But he would not let her keep that choice, not while he could stop her and bring her back home. The jungle was no place to have a baby.

He had hoped to find clues in Lucas' tree house. But it wouldn't matter he didn't know his son, not anymore and maybe not for a long time. He could've taken her anywhere; he'd been living out in the jungle for five years, he probably knew it better than anyone. They had a head start, they could be anywhere.

His thoughts drifted back to Skye, his strong willed, brave Skye. She was nineteen weeks, was she showing yet? She had started wearing baggy clothes so he couldn't tell; he tried to remember when Ayani was nineteen weeks. Did she tell him? Would knowing that he was going to be a father change anything?

"Sir" a voice said startling him from his thoughts. He turned to look at Curran. "Where ever they are, they are much further out then we have the supplies for" They had been out here for five days and found nothing. No traces, no tracks, no sign of anyone having gone trekking through the jungle.

"I was out here for a hundred and eighteen days without any supplies." Taylor told him. "I'm not leaving her" He wasn't around when Lucas took over the colony, he thought it would be better if he was on the outside. She said she met Lucas but he didn't think it was anything more than that. Then the colonist told him just how much attention he paid to Skye, how he was always finding excuses to touch her, that's why Shannon's son attacked him and that's why she did what she did to save Josh's life. He didn't mean for any of this to happen. "Skye, I'm so sorry" he whispered into the wind.

"We're no good to her if we're injured or dead, Sir" Curran told his Commander. He was out here for a few weeks and would've been dead in the first few days had the Commander not come out there to help him.

Taylor closed his eyes and rubbed his face. He knew Curran was right they needed supplies; the rovers were running low on fuel. But the longer it took to find her the further away she'd get. It had already been five days too long.

* * *

><p>Skye looked out from the small space between the leaves and saw them moving around the jungle floor, kneeling, inspecting, listening, surveying in every direction. Every rustle of the leaves, every rush of wind made them look up. The cascade of leaves that fell down around them made it impossible for them to see her way up here.<p>

All she had to do was call down to them and they'd rescue her and she'd be on her way back to the safety of Terra Nova, back to the medical attention she'd need in five months time, back home. Instead she silent as she watched them search for clues, they'd find nothing. Lucas was careful to hide their tracks. He'd hunt and cook the food somewhere far away and bury the remaining bones and ashes and they bathed in a stream fifteen clicks from here. He had a rover that was so well hidden that she didn't even know it was there until he uncovered it. He had been doing this for a long time.

Her hands went to her slowly growing belly as she watched them disappear into the jungle. They found her and she let them go on thinking they hadn't. She promised him she would stay, so she would. She felt her belly button poking through her shirt that fit snuggly around her rounded belly now; she was supposed to be with Dr. Shannon finding out if she was having a boy or a girl today.

She heard the soft padding of Lucas feet as he came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She couldn't believe that it had been two weeks since he'd taken her. Although in those past two weeks she learned more about survival than she ever did in Military school and in Terra Nova. Lucas was different then she thought he was, he didn't want to do everything for her he wanted her to learn how to do it herself.

Lucas heard the footfalls and the voices like she had. He pretended to still be asleep when she got out of the bed and went to the window. He wanted to see what she would do, would she betray him again? She stood there silently watching them, when the voices started to fade he walked over to her.

He smiled, she chose him. So he needed to show her how grateful he was. He had been avoiding this since he found out. He knew there was a baby but it was still an abstract thing in his mind. In two weeks he watched as her belly grew from a barely visable bump to one that was stretching out her shirt. His hands left her shoulders and went slowly around her waist. He watched her head look down as he placed his palms against her belly. He jumped and took them from her stomach almost immediately.

Skye laughed softly. "The baby's been moving all morning; I think it's doing acrobatics in there." She turned her head slightly to look at him. She felt the baby moving a lot more than she had earlier and she knew if she was back in Terra Nova it would be almost impossible to hide her pregnancy now.

Lucas was still in shock when she took his hands and placed them back on her stomach and she leaned back against his bare chest. He sucked in his breath as he felt her belly rolling around beneath his hands and he smiled.

Tbc…


	12. Chapter 12

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 12<p>

Mark Reynolds sat at the table staring out at nothing; there was only one thing on his mind, _Skye_. She had now been missing for over a month, six weeks to be exact.

Taylor had been sending out less and less people, because they were needed here in the colony. He was on his week break from the search, his unit had a run in with Carno and there were injuries. He looked down at his bandaged arm. He had been scratched but it was nothing he could still be out there looking for her. But Dr. Shannon had insisted he rest for a week.

What was killing him the most was, not knowing if she okay if she was alive. The only thing they had was when they went back to the Sixer camp the medical bag that Taylor left behind was gone. It could've been Lucas that took it or could've been the Sixers scavenging the place again. He hoped it was the former; Dr. Shannon had packed the vitamins Skye needed for the baby.

Mark was startled when a loud sound broke into his thoughts. Boylan had come over and placed a cup in front of him. "You look like you could use some of this, mate" he said pouring an amber colored liquid into the glass. "It's on the house"

He just looked at it and nodded. He was tempted to drink it but he wanted to keep his head straight. Getting drunk wouldn't help him find Skye.

Bolyan sat down across from him and they sat there in silence. By now the whole colony knew that Skye was pregnant and the only reason why they knew was because people were starting to wonder why they were wasting so many resources on a traitor. She betrayed them before why wouldn't she do it again. They figured she left on her own to join the Phoenix Group.

Those people didn't know Skye, she would never do that. She loved it here, this was her home. The first stable home she's ever had. He reached out and touched the cup, Mark nodded and he grabbed the cup, tilted his head back and poured the liquor down his throat.

_Pregnant_ that was still a shock to him. He met Skye when she was three at the base in Kazakhstan. Even then she was handful. One day she managed to sneak past the guards and wonder out into town. The base spent the whole day looking for her. When she was done exploring she walked right back through the gates with a huge smile on her face.

He poured himself another glass, drank it and looked at Mark. He hoped it would be the same, that she'd find her way back here. But he knew the truth. "If she doesn't want to be found, you won't find 'er"

"I know" Mark replied closing his eyes. Going with Lucas wasn't her choice, staying with him was. He was the baby's father; he just hoped that Lucas wanted to be one. If her hurt her, he would kill him.

* * *

><p>She drank from the canteen to swallow her pill. She was surprised when Lucas came back and placed a bag on the table in front of her. She rummaged through it and found her pre-natal vitamins, blankets, a Plex and a first aid kit. She exhaled sadly, Taylor left it for her. She hoped that meant they had given up searching for her.<p>

She walked over to the chair, sat down and read the book that Dr. Shannon had put on her Plex about what symptoms she should be expecting as her pregnancy progresses. It was early in the morning, Lucas was still asleep, which was something she had trouble doing now. Her belly had swelled up so much that it made it difficult to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She tried sleeping at his desk but that made her back hurt even more than it already did.

She was twenty-four weeks so she was up reading about all the other wonderful symptoms she had to look forward too.

When Lucas woke up they climbed down the tree to go to the stream to wash their clothes and collect fruit. He was smiling the whole way which concerned her a little. He was much more comfortable with the baby now; he had even started thinking of names. "This isn't the way to the stream" she said when she noticed he was going off in another direction.

"I know I wanted to show you something" he said as he kept walking.

Skye sighed and followed him. She looked around being out in the jungle made her appreciate the majesty of the world she was now living in. The clean oxygen-filled air, the sheer magnitude of living things all around her, the vibrancy of life she felt flowing around her and through her. This is what they ruined in the future. She placed her hands on her belly; she hoped they could keep it this way for the generations to come.

She was glad that Mr. Shannon and Taylor had succeeded in destroying the portal. The Phoenix Group wanted to destroy this and take it back to the future to sell for profit. Lucas was a part of that, but she saw the way he looked at the jungle, he felt the power, the energy and the magic that it held. He didn't want it destroyed. This was his home as much as it was hers.

She almost bumped into him because she didn't notice he had stopped walking. He knelt down and touched the dirt that had been disturbed recently. He smiled satisfied that it was dinosaurs instead of people, that didn't do much to comfort her so she kept her ears and eyes open if the dinosaurs happened to wander back over here.

"Why are we here?" She asked as Lucas was on his hands and knees digging through the dirt.

"For this" he said taking out something wrapped in cloth. She walked over to him as he un-wrapped it and held it out to her. Her eyes widened as she saw a round wood object, the dark wood was a sharp contrast to the dull yellow of the cloth. "What is it?"

"It's compass" he said. "Its how they used to tell…."

"I know what a compass is, Lucas" she interjected loudly. Lucas looked at her. "Sorry" She said sheepishly. "I haven't been sleeping well… or at all" she added with a small laugh.

He had noticed that, he imagined it was hard to sleep in the same position for the whole night. She had started wearing his shirts because the ones he found at the Sixer camp were too small now. He kind of liked seeing her in his shirt with it stretched out over her belly. After everything he's seen out here, knowing he was having a kid was still the most shocking.

"You found that out here?" she asked.

"Yes, it's old"

"18th century old, like the prow of the ship you found in the Badlands?"

Lucas' hand dropped and he stood up looking at her curiously. "How did you know about that?"

She smiled. "I may not be the spy anymore but that doesn't mean I stopped listening" Lucas nodded his head and smiled. She was full of surprises. "When did you find it?"

"Three years ago" he told her. "I found it in the Badlands" he never told anyone that. He just told Mira to go to the Badlands, he didn't tell her how or why he knew that there was something there. He didn't trust anyone with that information not when he didn't have all of it himself.

"Does that mean that we may not be the only one's here?" she asked.

He hadn't even thought of that, he found the prow and the compass. He didn't even think about the possibility that the entire ship could've come through with people on it. He didn't find skeletons but that didn't mean anything. They could've moved, they had an entire planet to spread out on.

He stuck the compass in his bag; they walked to the stream and washed their clothes. He was quiet the entire time and on the way back. She was worried now that he would try to go to the Badlands to see if he could find anything else. "Lucas" she said touching his arm. He was standing at the window looking out. "Don't" she said shaking her head. "I need you here…we need you here" she said bringing his hand to her stomach.

Lucas faced her and looked down at his hand on her belly then back into her bright blue eyes. "If something happens to you…" she swallowed unable to finish her sentence. Lucas cupped her cheek with his left hand and she instinctively closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. It was so different from the first time he tried that when she was afraid of his touch, now she craved more.

He swallowed as he gently ran his thumb over her soft skin. "I'm here" he said his voice rough with emotion. Lucas knew that he had to give her more, she deserved it. She wasn't the only that didn't just have herself to worry about it. He had to worry about three people now, himself, Skye and their baby. "I'm not going anywhere" he told her softly, lifting her chin and bringing his lips to hers.

Tbc…


	13. Chapter 13

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 13<p>

It had been two days since he showed her the compass. It sat on their table, taunting them. There was so much of this planet that they had yet to see. If there had been others here before, how did they die, disease, famine, dinosaurs? If they were still alive, how had they survived for so long? And where were they?

She knew how much he wanted those answers. And if the Phoenix Group wasn't there she would be right by his side searching the Badlands for evidence of other people having lived there. He was a scientist and she was a curious person by nature which is why she always scared her parents by going out and exploring no matter what war torn country they were in.

She saw the way his face lit up when he talked. "Bucket, they don't even realize what they've done. This world isn't just a fresh start. We've created a new possibility, a new time line, a new reality" She kissed him then because for the first time she saw the man he could've been and still could be.

Later that night she lay awake with Lucas cradling her body against his. His right arm was under her head and his left hand rested on her hip. She began to pull away and he tightened his grip. "Stay" he murmured softly. She tried to control the shudder that threatened to run through her body as his lips brushed against the sensitive skin on the shell of ear.

He was half asleep, she could tell by his slow, steady breathing. She didn't know how they had arrived to this point. He was the enemy, the one hell bent on destroying her home and now she was lying here naked in his bed.

She didn't know if she doing the right thing, but now she knew why she was doing it. She wanted to be here with him. A shared pain had brought them together, an understanding bonded them closer and the solace they found in each other was unlike anything they'd ever felt before.

She smiled as she leaned against a tree and watched him skin the feathers off the Pteranodon that he had shot down for their lunch. When he caught her eyes, he smiled. "Almost done" he told her and went back to chopping the meat. Her job was to cut the fruit, she finished so now she was waiting for him.

"I have to go the bathroom" she told him, it always hit so suddenly and she just went twenty minutes ago. She wished the baby would stop pressing on her bladder.

He looked up at her but he was resigned now to her frequent bathroom trips. "Get some more dry bark while you're out there"

She imagined if she hadn't already learned to live out in the woods with nature, living so primitive like this would've been difficult. Her grandfather told her in the old days when the air was clean people used to camp for fun.

When she finished she pulled up her sweats, she knew this would get harder and harder as the baby grew, the extra weight she was carrying was already making it difficult for her stand back up. She took the soap out of her bag, lathered up her hands and poured the water from her canteen on them to wash it off, dried them with her towel and put everything back in her bag.

She started searching for dry bark so they could keep the fire burning. She hadn't walked very far when she heard the familiar sound of sonic charging up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her hand instinctively going for the gun at her thigh.

"Well, look what I found" said a female voice from behind her.

"Mira" Skye said. She was too close; she wouldn't be able to do anything. They had gotten too comfortable playing house with no one bothering them, that was dangerous she should never have let her guard down. She sighed brought her hands half way up.

"I have to hand it to you, you didn't make it easy"

Skye turned around slowly. Mira's sonic was pointed right at her head. She smiled slightly as she saw Mira's eyes fall from her face to her belly and her usual stoic indifference was replaced with surprised shock.

Her gun kept lowering as she took in the sight in front of her. She swallowed. "You're….?"

"Yep" Skye replied, still holding her hands in the air.

Mira lowered her gun and held it at her side. She was not expecting this. She had been searching for Lucas when she came back and saw that he was gone. And that Commander Taylor had set up camp in their homes. She was confused as to why they were doing that, they knew that the Phoenix Group was in the Badlands. She hid and listened and found out that Skye was missing. "That explains why he hasn't given up"

"They're still looking for me?" she had hoped they stopped.

"Is it his?" Mira asked her holstering her gun.

"Yes" Skye replied.

She stared at the young woman; she had known Lucas was obsessed with her, she saw the way he leered at her. She just figured Skye was smarter than that. "And that is why he'll never stop. They even came to us looking for you"

"He went to the Badlands?"

"They did" Mira told her dryly. "The Commander and that other white knight of yours, the soldier…"

"Mark" Skye said breathlessly. She thought she was protecting them by not going back, but she was putting them in more danger because they wouldn't stop looking for her.

"Mark, right. They were almost killed for their effort" Mira watched Skye's reaction to that news. "But you see that was not my problem, my problem is they thought Lucas was dead" she said walking closer to her. "And now that they know he's alive, they want him back."

"And that puts a damper on your plans for Lucas" Skye replied locking her eyes onto hers. Mira's brows rose. "You want him to open the portal to the future so you can be reunited with your daughter"

"Lucas told you that?" Mira asked in surprise.

"No, that I figured out on my own. I'm clever like that" she told her with a smirk.

Mira's thin smile turned into a real one. "I've always respected you Skye; I never treated or talked to you like you were a child. Not like your friend…the Sheriff's son"

"We don't need to bring Josh into this"

"I never got what you saw in him. Although your choice in lovers is not what I expected." Mira's eyes drifted over her stomach.

"That's really _none_…of your business"

"I know" Mira replied with a small laugh. Her laughter now was just hiding her pain. She had been on defense for so long, that she didn't know how to react any other way.

Skye couldn't blame Mira for the way she acted; they were both being coerced into helping. She held her mother, they held her daughter. She knew what Mira wanted. Skye gently touched her rounded belly. "My only question is can I trust you?"

Mira lowered her eyes, and then looked back at her. Her face was serious but you could see the sadness behind it, the truth. "If you get Lucas to help me get my daughter back, I'll be forever indebted to you"

"I don't need your debt; I need your trust, to not tell the Phoenix group you..."

"I won't" Mira interjected. "I don't care what they want; I just want my daughter" her voice cracked as she said that. She did respect the young woman that's why she chose her over everyone else. The others thought it was the wrong choice, but she knew it wasn't. Skye was smart, capable and above all else valiant. Ordinary people would flee burning houses, thundering storms and raging beasts, they'd seek protection from the elements and remedies to remove discomfort. Then there were the few that wouldn't seek protection, they'd rush into the home to fight the fire, they take on the beast alone, and they'd endure the storm and the pain to save others over themselves. They would ignore the costs, the consequences to do what is needed, when it needed to be done. That was Skye, it was her greatest strength but also her greatest weakness. "Nothing else matters more to me than seeing my baby girl again"

Skye nodded in understanding. "I better get back, Lucas will come looking for me and he'll probably shoot you on sight." Skye told her honestly. "Meet me back here in two days"

"Will that be enough time?" Mira asked incrediously. "He wasn't too keen on helping me earlier"

"That's because he hates you" Skye told her. "I'm good at...persuading him" Mira nodded, turned around and left. Skye brought both her hands to her face, _what was she doing?_ She didn't like Mira all that much either, but she saw the pain of a mother and now she knew what that meant.

* * *

><p>Commander Taylor sat in his office staring at the Plex screen in front of him. He was supposed to be working, planning, and strategizing about what they were going to with the Phoenix Group and the Badlands. He needed to get his scientists over there figuring out how a ship prow from the 18th century ended up there. And if there was another portal he couldn't let them open it. Lucas was the only one that could open the portal. He just hoped that they had told him the truth when they said they hadn't seen him.<p>

He brought his hands to his face, he may have put Skye in more danger, they thought Lucas was dead.

If only he had paid more attention, maybe he would've seen something, found some kind of clue that Skye was hiding something from him. Then she never would've met Lucas and never would've been in this situation. He always prided himself on seeing through others bullshit. But with her he couldn't see it.

He kept going back to that night, the night he banished Mira's group to the jungle. He went searching for Skye, she was usually right there with everyone else but that day she wasn't. He went to the infirmary and saw that her Deborah Tate's bed was occupied by someone else. He inquired about her whereabouts and was told she died. That's all he needed to hear he ran through the colony to her house. It was dark; he knocked and received so no response. He pushed on the door it was open; he called out her name and was met with an eerie silence. His heart beat rapidly as he searched for her. He found her passed out on the couch holding an open bottle of tequila loosely in her hand, tears stained her face. When he walked over to her he felt glass crunching beneath his boots, broken liquor bottles littered the floor. He saw that she had smashed her father's liquor cabinet open with a hammer.

He removed the half empty bottle from her grasp and placed it on the floor and scooped her up and carried her to his house. He wasn't leaving her here not when he wasn't sure how much she had to drink.

He shouldn't have left her alone in that house. He should've taken her in the second both her parents became sick. He was a failure as a father to his own son and now he was a failure as father figure to her and now to his unborn grandchild.

Now he was hoping Lucas would keep her hidden, keep her safe but he wasn't going to give up searching for her because now he had to find her before they did.

Tbc…


	14. Chapter 14

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 14<p>

She watched until Mira disappeared into the rich green foliage. She wanted to help, she always wanted to help. It was her weakness and she didn't know if this would would put her in even more danger. But maybe it would give them time to occupy their minds with something other than wanting to find the people that lived her before them. She walked over to a tree and started pulling more bark. "Skye" she heard her name and she turned around, Lucas came running over to her. "I was worried that something had happened to you. Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" He asked holding his gun out in front of him.

"We're fine" she replied. "I'm slower now, remember?"

"I shouldn't let you go alone" He said holstering his weapon.

"What are you going to do watch me go to the bathroom?"

"If that's what it takes to keep you safe" He said and she was shocked how completely serious he was. Suddenly he turned from her. "Someone was here" he said pulling his gun out again.

Skye sighed. "Mira" His head whipped back towards her in anger.

"And you let her go?" he asked walking over to her again with anger in his eyes..

Skye looked at him. "She wants our help…your help"

"I know that" he replied through gritted teeth. He was breathing heavily now. Mira had found them, found her. What if it had been someone else? They had let their guard down thinking they were safe. They couldn't stay here they needed to move.

"She saved your life, Lucas"

"I remember" Lucas said. "I didn't ask her too and she only did it because she wanted something from me"

"If she hadn't we both wouldn't be here right now" She placed her hand on her stomach. "And you would've never known about our child."

Lucas pursed his lips together and turned away from her. He ran his hand through his hair. He looked down at his hands they were shaking. He balled them into fists. This wasn't what they needed; they were doing fine on their own. Why did they need to help anyone? Why couldn't they just keep living the way they were.

She knew this wasn't going to be easy. He didn't like Mira. "We both know what it's like to lose a parent." She said to him softly and walking so she was in front of him. "How do you think her little girl feels?" He looked at her still breathing heavily but she saw the emotions running through his eyes.

She felt horrible using their losses to get him to help, but it was all she had. The loss of her father and loss of his mother had forever changed the courses of their lives and brought them to the point they were at now.

"We should get back" was all he said as her turned around and started walking away. She closed her eyes. He turned back around to look at her. "It's not safe for us to stand out here like this"

* * *

><p>He stood outside her room trying to control his breathing. When he felt he had enough composure he knocked on the door frame.<p>

"Commander" she replied weakly. "Did you find her?"

He knew she would ask that question and it was his fault because he hadn't bothered to visit her since Skye disappeared. So she would hope that's why he was now. "No, I'm sorry"

"I didn't think so" She replied with a small laugh that turned into a sob. She placed her hand over her mouth.

Nathanial Taylor walked over to her bedside. "Deborah…I…" he began, but he didn't know what else to say to her. He had lost her daughter. He sank down on the chair besides her bed. He looked at her when he felt her hand on his.

"It's not your fault" she told him, sniffing back her tears. "Christopher and I raised her to be independent. We sent her to military school to learn to be strong and to take things into her own hands." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "We wanted her to be able to handle herself in any situation"

"And she can" Taylor replied back with a smile. He just wished she would leave some kind of sign that she was ok. They had nothing, she was just gone. He hadn't given up and he wasn't going too. But looking for Skye wasn't the only thing he needed to do. "And now it's your turn to be strong, you need to get better, because when she gets back here she's going to need help with that baby of hers"

She knew he was right; Skye would need her when she got back. She would want her to continue to get better. She looked over at the Commander, his hair was a mess, his beard hadn't been trimmed in awhile and he looked like he had lost weight. "She's going to need both of us. You need to take care of yourself as well. After all we'll be sharing a grandchild soon"

* * *

><p>Lucas approached Mira and held the gun to the back of her head. Mira held her hands in the air. "You're going to let Skye relieve you of your weapons, ALL of them."<p>

She walked out from her hiding spot and over to Mira. She grabbed her gun from her holster and put it in her bag. Then she reached for the knife on her thigh and the one across her chest. "Any more?" Lucas asked pushing the barrel against her skull.

"There's one in my boot" Mira replied with a steady voice, she had been expecting this.

Skye looked down. "I can't bend to get that" she told him. There would be no way she would be able to get back up if she did.

"Bend down and remove the knife" Lucas ordered her. Mira lowered herself slowly and removed the knife from her boot. "Hand it to Skye, handle first" Mira complied.

Lucas nodded at Skye and she took out her gun and kept it level with Mira's head. Lucas put his gun away and patted her down. When he was satisfied he moved around so he was in front of her. "Okay for me to do this there are a few things I need you to do"

Mira's eyes locked on his. "Since Hope Plaza was destroyed, I need you to get me the original calculations from that time fracture. So you are going to need to copy them down and give them to me. Now you have to write them exactly as they are written, so that means every bracket, every function composition, every sigma, etc… must be written down exactly as you see it."

"Okay" Mira replied nodding her head.

"I don't think you understand. Time is an abstract notion, we can't accurately measure it. We came upon this place completely by accident. Without the correct calculations, I can be sending you anywhere in time. If you want to go to 2149 I need those exact calculations"

"I want to see my daughter again; I'll give you exactly what you need"

Lucas nodded. "The time fracture opened up in four places, where we put the terminal, 8 clicks from that position, Arrow Point Lake and about 50 clicks from here, which is the one we will be using. So you are also going to watch that location to make sure no one from Terra Nova or your group ever goes there."

After they had left Mira with more instructions of when they would meet up again and where, he started leading Skye in a different direction. He had packed all they would need.

"Where are we going now?"

"I have another house over here; it's closer to the place where we are going to reopen the portal. We can actually see it from there"

He still didn't trust Mira, not that she blamed him. Trust needed to be earned. She followed him until he stopped again and pulled on his rope and ladder fell down. She climbed up. She reached the top and hoisted herself up.

She looked around, this one was put together much better and was bigger than his other house. There was more of a kitchen area with counters and cabinets. She also saw wooden bowls and plates. Next to that was a separate room which she guessed was the bedroom. She turned around slowly and she saw it, sitting in the middle of the room. Her breath caught in her throat.

Lucas had joined her and put his arms on her shoulder. "Do you like it?"

She turned slightly to look at him. "Yes" she said with tears welling up in her eyes. She walked over to it and gently touched it, making it rock slightly. He had built a cradle. "Lucas…" She said unable to finish her thoughts so she smiled at him.

Tbc..


	15. Chapter 15

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 15<p>

Mira sat on a rock sharpening a spear in case they'd need it. She'd been watching them for two days now; she saw how Lucas doted on her. She was surprised how well he had taken to becoming a father. Her ex couldn't wait to get away when she told him she was pregnant. She never expected Lucas to actually want this. But here he was smiling and feeling her belly when the baby moved. He was happy, she'd never seen him happy before, it was a little disconcerting.

When she first met him after his father banished them, she thought he was mentally unbalanced and she was right. She hated her father too and she'd rather not think about him then obsess about him. Lucas' entire meaning in life was to beat his father both intellectually and physically. She'd never seen anyone carry around that much hatred before.

She guessed now Skye and his child had given him another purpose. Although she wasn't sure what Skye was getting out of this arrangement? Does she actually care about him? She doubted Skye planned on getting pregnant at eighteen. But then again it really was none of her business. So she went back to watching the perimeter. She'd be seeing her daughter again soon, that was all that really mattered to her.

Lucas studied the ground where the portal would open, without a terminal it would be difficult to determine the exact spot. He tried looking for any burn markings the electrical energy of the fracture would've left, but they hadn't used this opening since the fourth pilgrimage four years ago. The foliage in the jungle grows quickly so he had to go with his best guess. When he had the information he needed, he told Mira it would take some time to figure out the calculations needed to open it.

That was three weeks ago, now he was sitting at his desk with the original equations and furiously writing down his new ones.

Those were keeping Lucas occupied, Skye however was bored. It was hot and her feet had started to swell. They had started to argue more because he was agitated and she was miserable. She didn't know how much longer she could take it with him being the only person she could talk too. She missed her mother and was worried about her. She knew that Dr. Shannon and Malcolm would do everything they could to help her mother recover. But she knew her mother would be worrying about her more than worrying about getting better. Maybe she should've left a clue or something to let them know she was okay. Then she shook her head but that would've given Taylor hope that he could find her and he'd continue to waste resources to look for her.

When did her life become such a mess? She had brought this on herself, getting in bed with the Sixers, sharing a bed with Lucas. She had no one to blame but herself for this situation.

She stared down at her bulging belly, she wished she could see her baby growing and find out the gender so she could stop calling it, it. She hoped she was doing the right things to keep her baby healthy. She was twenty seven weeks; they needed to talk about what they planned on doing when she went into labor, but she was afraid to ask him anything now. He got so involved in his work that sometimes he forgot she was there. The last time she interrupted his thought process he snapped at her, yelling about how she asked him to this, so that was what he was doing.

She wanted to scream, she was going crazy just sitting here. She wasn't used to not being able to do whatever she wanted, when she wanted to. He wasn't keeping her here, she could climb down the ladder and walk around outside. But a pack of Nykos were nearby, they heard them howling earlier, it was mating season and if she got caught out there she wouldn't be making it back here. So for now she was stuck.

"I can't do this anymore, Lucas" she finally said out loud. He kept his back towards her but she didn't hear him writing anymore. "I can't sit here and do nothing anymore and I can't have this baby out here"

"You want to go back?" he asked breathing deeply.

"I don't know" she replied as tears were threatening to fall. She didn't know, maybe that's what she was asking him.

He turned around in his chair and looked at her. "You want to go back because you think my father can help you more than I can?"

She saw the rage start to build in his eyes. "It's not about your father!" she screamed frustrated now. "It's about our baby; it's about being near doctors"

"You're a doctor"

"I'm not a doctor, Lucas. I was barely an intern. And I can't deliver my own baby" She was asking him to take her back to the colony where she'd be safe and Dr. Shannon could deliver her baby.

"I can't go back to the colony. What am I supposed to do? That's my baby too." his green eyes pleaded with her. "I can't be without you, Skye. I need you." His world had gotten brighter because she was in it. He didn't want to go back into darkness. He didn't want to be alone not when he didn't have to be. She showed him the world he wanted to be in, the world with her and their baby and one one else.

"I know" she said softly. "But this isn't about you and me. The jungle is no place to raise a child"

He felt his anger boiling to surface and his mind started filling with thoughts he didn't want to see. He saw his father holding his baby and beaming down at Skye, he saw his father chasing his kid around the colony and teaching his kid how to play catch. "No!" he shouted at her, those were things he was going to be doing not his father. "I'm not letting my father anywhere near our baby. You're staying here" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll deliver our baby; you can just tell me what I need to do"

Skye looked at him shock; his mind was still clouded with the hatred of his father. She knew when he got like this there would be no use in trying to get him to see reason. His hatred for his father was still something she couldn't reach, couldn't bring him back from. Why would she think that spending two months with her would make him better?

"We're running low on food" he said and picked up his rifle and climbed down the ladder without another word.

She stood staring at the hole in their tree house where he disappeared. She knew what he said in the beginning was true, he couldn't go back, the colony would never accept him after what he did and even if she could convince Taylor to let him come back he'd most likely throw him in the brig. And if he was in the brig he wouldn't be around to help raise their child.

Now she was tired and she needed to calm down, stress was not good for the baby and she could feel it in there reminding her. She walked to the bed and lay down.

A loud creak woke her from her slumber; she opened her eyes and looked around. She heard the creaking again and sat up. She looked out the window and saw that it was dark. She looked around "Lucas?" she called out.

She heard a groan in reply and she got off the bed and ran into the other room. She saw Lucas slowly trying to pull himself up through the opening in the treehouse. Her heart beat sped up when she saw his hands were covered in blood. "Lucas!" she said and ran over to him.

He managed to pull his legs the rest of the way through. She kneeled down and flipped him over; his shirt was drenched red. She ran to the kitchen area to get the first aid kit that Dr. Shannon packed in her bag and a few bottles of water they had filled at the stream.

She was back at Lucas' side; she cut off his shirt and used a rag to staunch the bleeding. He was pale and moaning. "Lucas stay with me" she pleaded as she soaked up the blood. Then she used the water to clean his would so she could get a better look at it.

She couldn't lose him. He said he needed her, she needed him too. She let out the breath she had been holding the scratches weren't as deep as she first thought. Most of the blood was darker and thicker, it was dinosaur blood. She looked at the scar on her forearm from a Slasher claw; the ones on him were wider. She closed her eyes it was from the Nykoraptors they heard earlier, they had gotten so caught up in their drama they forgot they were out there.

She looked at him when she managed to stop the bleeding; he passed out. She quickly poured the antiseptic on the scratches; he woke up screaming from the pain. She stuffed a rag in his mouth and he bit down on it hard. "You need to stay still" she told him and he nodded his understanding as she pierced his skin and started stitching him up. She had to keep her hands steady each time he winced as she pulled his skin together to close the lacerations.

When she was done she noticed he passed out again. She felt his pulse and timed it was steady. She stared down at him he was so still and that scared her even though she knew he would be okay. And now she knew why she had stayed, why she didn't ask to go home it wasn't just to protect Taylor. She wanted to be with him, it was slowly dawning on her that she was falling in love with him. Could she say those words to him, was he ready to hear them?

He was awake, he felt her eyes on him. But he was paralyzed, trapped beneath the morass of emotions that threatened at every moment to overcome him. It was because of her that there was no release from the cacophony of feelings that bombarded him from all sides. Feelings that warmed his soul when she was near. Feelings that made him feel alive when she looked into his eyes and saw not the man he was but the man he could be, wanted to be for her. And a feeling he couldn't explain but one that he embraced. _Was it love? Is this what love feels like?_ He knew now what he had to do.

She reached out to touch the scars on his side of his head when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist startling her. "You're right" he said hoarsely his emerald eyes staring into hers. "It's not safe for you out here for you" his other hand touched her belly. "I'll take you back."

She wanted to wait a few days for him to heal, but he said they had to do it now before he changed his mind. So they were back walking through the jungle to his rover so they could drive back to the colony. It was too treacherous now for her to make it on foot. She wanted to thank him for realizing that this was right thing to do for her and their baby, but she didn't want to upset him. She knew how hard this was for him.

He knew what he was giving up, but he was giving them a chance to live a life where they would be safe and that was what was most important. He couldn't let her go without telling her how much these past few months meant to him, what she meant to him. "Skye" he said.

She stopped walking and turned back to look at him. But then they heard the sounds they didn't want to hear, engines, lots of them headed straight towards them.

Tbc…


	16. Chapter 16

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 16<p>

The sounds were almost deafening to their ears, it was as if the world had gone silent except for the load roaring that rattled the ground beneath their feet.

Lucas' gun was out in an instant he moved his body in front of Skye's, his other hand hovering near her belly. They couldn't run, they couldn't hide, there wasn't enough time all they could do was wait. This was the one time he was hoping it was his father. But he knew it wasn't.

They reached the clearing quickly, soldiers on foot were already making their way towards them with their weapons drawn. Standing in front of her wasn't going to do anything they came from all directions. His heart beat sped up in worry; they were surrounded.

A man stepped out of the rover that had parked it inches from them. Lucas didn't recognize him because he didn't really care to memorize any of their names. The insignia on his uniform made him a Captain.

The Captain walked over to them and stood right in front of them. He looked at Lucas then his eyes were drawn downwards towards Skye. "Well that's an interesting development" he says looking back Lucas.

"If you are going to kill me, then do it. But leaver her out of it" He had only felt this helpless once before and that's when his mother lost her life. He promised himself that he would never feel like that again. If it was just him he could run into him and keep going but he couldn't leave now, not without Skye and his baby. He knew that he would give his life for hers if it came down to it.

The solider smiled. "Kill you, why would we do that? We need you alive" he said with a laugh. "And her well, she'll be your incentive to do whatever we say"

"And what is that you want me to do?" Lucas asked through gritted teeth.

"Take us home" the Captain replied.

"You want me to reopen the portal." Lucas replied resigned.

The Captain moved closer to him so he was centimeters away from his face and then whispered in his ear. "If you try anything and I mean anything that harms any of my men. I will kill your unborn child first and then her, while you watch."

The ripples that went down his body wasn't from fear, it was pure rage, he was almost snarling under his breath. It took all his resolve to not lash out and rip the man's head from his body. He could take threats but no one threatened Skye or his child. But he couldn't act, not here it was too dangerous. He needed to be alive to protect them.

The Captain looked over at Skye. "That goes for you too, don't think I don't what you're capable of, Skye Tate."

Skye glared at him, in her mind she saw herself grabbing the barrel of his gun ramming it so hard up into his face it would make his head snap backwards. She had never wanted to kill someone so badly in her life.

"Do we have a deal?" he asked.

"Yes" Lucas answered without hesitating, although he was sure the Captain heard the venom in his voice.

"Good" he replied. "Then let's get back, the sooner you get to working on it the sooner we can get out of this Godforsaken place"

They walked them over to a rover. A soldier helped Skye climb up to the seat. When Lucas went to join her the Captain held his arm out blocking him. "She'll slow us down, but you can walk" he said and shut the door. He saw Skye look at him through the small window. He didn't want to leave her with them even if it was only one. She gave a small nod telling him to allow it because they had no other choice, not if they all wanted to live.

He nodded in return and backed away as the rover drove off. Then a gun was shoved into his back and he started walking.

Skye sat silently in the rover as it made its way through the jungle. They were going back where she'd be safe and the baby could be born with actual doctors present. But now she stuck going to the Badlands for who knows how long. She had gotten her wish, now it was more than just her and Lucas.

When the rover stopped another solider opened the door, she held her stomach with one hand as he helped her out.

"What's going on?" She heard Mira's voice ask she stormed up through the crowd.

Mira's eyes widened when she saw Skye but she quickly recovered. Hoping they thought she was shocked at Skye's condition.

"He knocked her up can you believe that" the solder said with a laugh.

Mira just stood there stoically. "And I'm assuming you found him too?" she asked. This was no place for a pregnant woman. These people were ruthless and cruel. Her lot consisted of thieves, government protesters and petty criminals. The Phoenix Group was trained killers; mercenaries paid to do whatever dirty work you wanted them to do.

"Yes, Captain Thomas made him walk" the solider replied.

"Take her to the room we set up for Lucas." she ordered the soldiers.

When they arrived they walked him up the stairs of a hut and shoved him into a room. Skye was there waiting for him and he ran to her. "Did they hurt you?" he asked breathlessly holding her face in his hands.

"No" she replied staring into his eyes. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He nods.

Lucas exhales and leans his forehead against hers and lays his hand on her stomach, it jumps in response. "I guess they baby's answering your question too" Skye said with a small smile looking down at her stomach. He smiled back and kept his hand pressed against her belly feeling his child's movements beneath his palm. With his other hand he lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers.

"Okay, that's enough" a soldier said entering the room. "Get to work, the sooner we can leave this place the better. I'm tired of eating dinosaur meat"

He grabbed Lucas roughly away from Skye and pushed him towards a table where they had laid out the calculations from the original portal, a Plex and a blank piece of paper for him to write down the reverse equations.

"It shouldn't take you that long since you've already figured out the calculations" The Captain said from the doorway. "And allow me to introduce myself I'm Captain Dylan Thomas"

"Well Captain Thomas it doesn't exactly work like that" Lucas told him as he joined him by the table. "I just don't press a button and open a portal to the future. It's much more complicated than that." Captain Thomas turned to look at him. "To put it simply the portal is like ripping open a seam in time and space and in order to rip it open it needs to be where two sides meet." He told the Captain demonstrating what he meant by holding his hands side by side and slowly moving them apart. "So I need to know where the fracture originates. Do you know the coordinates for that?"

"No" Captain Thomas replied. "I imagine somewhere around where we found the prow of the ship"

"Are you sure? Because we need the exact location of the fracture for any of this to work" Lucas told him and watched him take that in. "Did you think I could do this overnight? It took me six years to work out the correct calculations to make the portal go both ways"

"You better hope you can finish it this time quicker than that" Captain Thomas said and nodded his head. A solder moved towards Skye charging his weapon.

"I didn't say it would take me six years!" Lucas said the pitch in his voice rising from worry as he moved towards Skye. Two soldiers grabbed his arms stopping him. "I can't do it…without knowing where the portal opens!" He says loudly keeping his eyes locked on Skye's. He needed to protect her and the baby at all costs, but he also couldn't allow them to go back the future and bring more destruction. There had already been enough bloodshed; most of it had been his own doing. He needed to be a better man now, for his child. "This isn't like walking through a doorway; you're walking between two different time periods. If everything is not exactly right you can end up anywhere in time."

"Fine, then let's go searching for the fracture" Captain Thomas said to him.

He needed to buy as much time as he could to come up with a plan. Now he was pretty much making things up as he talked and hoped they would buy it. "There's not enough light left, I need to be able to see the ground to determine the location"

"Tomorrow then, at first light" Captain Thomas said and walked out the door all but two solders followed him out. The two soldiers that remained shut the door and stood in front of it.

Mira had been waiting for the Captain to leave; when he did she walked up the stairs. The soldiers stop her. "Captain Thomas doesn't want anyone talking to them but him" they tell her.

She meets Skye's eyes through the window and suddenly Skye cries out. The startled soldiers jump and look around. "Let me in, she's pregnant, she needs help" Mira demanded. They stand there unsure of what to do. "If she dies our leverage dies, let me in"

They finally step aside; she opens the door and runs towards Skye who's clutching her belly. Lucas is at her side asking her what's wrong the distress evident in his voice. She goes to Skye and Lucas helps her lay down on the floor. She's groaning and holding her stomach. Mira looks at the soldiers. "Can we get some privacy! I'm here I'm not going to let them escape I want to go home too. " The soldiers give her one last look and close the door.

Skye moans some more of good measure than stops. "You're too clever for you own good. You know that don't you?"Mira said to Skye with a small smile.

"It's a curse" Skye replies sadly.

"Skye? What?...Are you okay?" Lucas asked confused and worried.

"I'm fine, we needed them to let them let her in" She told him as she reached out and touched his hand, she felt him trembling. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you like that" she said she figured it would be the only way they'd let Mira in alone, she didn't think about how Lucas would react.

His breathing was erratic he had never been that scared before. The fear that something was wrong with her and the baby had reached into a part of him that he didn't even know existed.

"Lucas, I'm sorry" Skye said placing her hand tentatively on his cheek.

He looked into her clear blue eyes and cupped his hand over hers. "It's fine that was a smart. But don't ever do that again without telling me"

She nods her head. "Okay, I'm sorry" she said one more time. "Can you help me up?"

A small smile broke across his face as he and Mira both helped Skye stand upright. Skye turned to his arms; he threaded his fingers through her hair and rested his forehead on hers. He remembered how afraid he was when he first found out she was pregnant, how he couldn't even look at her expanding stomach. And now he was looking forward to meeting their child. But not like this, not here.

"I swear to you I didn't tell them anything" Mira said still a little shocked from their exchange. This was more than a simple arrangement; they had real feeling for each other.

"I believe you" Skye said to her. And she did, she knew Mira's only thoughts were getting back to her daughter. She would do whatever it took to accomplish that and this was a road block she never would've wanted. Skye gently touched her belly, right now her baby went everywhere she went, that would change when it was born. And there was a real possibility that this is where their baby would be born.

Mira looked at Skye she did actually like her; she wasn't lying when she told the young woman she respected her. She wasn't going to be responsible for anything happening to her or her unborn child. And that would require her to keep all three of them alive.

Tbc…


	17. Chapter 17

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 17<p>

She heard his steady breathing and felt his hand on her waist as she stared out into the darkness of the room they were in. Sleep was a distant memory now, her stomach was too big to get comfortable and if she did manage some form of comfort the baby would kick her waking her again. And now she had to go to bathroom. She slipped away from Lucas' grasp and walked to the door. She knocked lightly and a guard opened it. She smiled at him.

"Again?" he asked.

"Well if you have two pounds of pressure pressing on your bladder there's not much you can do about it." She replied, sighing this was the third time she had to go in the past two hours. His name was Nick and he was one of the nicer ones. He looked at her then opened the door wider so she could walk through.

She felt like everything was swollen, her back ached and her skin itched. How did anyone enjoy being pregnant? She supposed being the jungle with no air condition didn't really help matters, that and the fact she was being held prisoner. The only thing she did like better was the Phoenix Group had managed to build outhouses, so no more trying to go in the jungle using a tree to hold up her extra weight. When she was finished, Nick held poured water on her hands and she used the soap that Mira had made to clean her hands.

As they walked back she noticed him hitting the back of his neck and scratching it. She moved a little closer to see that he had a massive red lump on his neck, an insect bite. "If you keep scratching it, it'll get infected" She told him.

He stopped and turned around. It already looked infected. And he didn't look well, she couldn't tell before because it was too dark but now she could see he was pale and sweating. She knew the jungle was hot but there was one thing being out here didn't make you and that was pale.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

"Yeah, it feels sore. What does that mean?"

"It means it could be infected already" she replied. "Can I see it?" he bent down and pulled the collar of his uniform down. She breathed in.

"What?" he asked worried now. "What is it?"

"There's a red line on the bite and that's usually caused by an inflammation in your lymphatic system" He just stared at her. "Your lymphatic system is part of your body's immune system it stores cells that help you fight infection." His eyebrows rose in confusion so she continued. "As the fluids flow through your body your lymph nodes capture and destroy invading pathogens, so if they are compromised they can't fight." She told him deciding to use military terms to help him understand.

"What does that mean?" he asked his full attention was on her now.

"If it's not treated it could get a lot worse." She said. She wanted to help because he was nice but he was still responsible for holding her captive. She was on her way back to the colony to have her baby with trained doctors and now most likely she would give birth out here with trained killers.

"You're a doctor?" he asked. He didn't know much about her, he thought they were only getting Lucas and then they brought a pregnant girl with them. She was carrying Lucas' kid and he cared about her and they could use that, but he still didn't think it was right to keep her with them. What would they do when she had the baby?

"I was studying to be one…before I was taken" she replied. And that wasn't entirely their fault, Lucas had taken her first.

"Can you help me?" he asked. "Will you help me?" he added knowing the situation she was in. He was guarding her with orders to hurt her if Lucas stopped working. He knew he could demand her help by threats but she could very well poison him and he wouldn't know, so it was always better to get help, especially medical help by asking nicely.

She looked at him, he looked sincere and scared. She hadn't actually taken her oath to do no harm yet. But if she helped him, he would owe her and that may come in handy some day. "Yes" she replied then added. "I probably won't be able to get back to sleep so I might as well do something to occupy my time" to make it not seem like she trusted him.

"What do you need?" he asked grateful that she was helping. He was starting to think he had the flu or something.

She started walking towards the foliage. "I actually saw the herb we need over here earlier. Can you shine your flashlight over here?" he complied. Yep, she said to herself as she found them, Coneflowers.

She walked back into their room quietly not wanting to wake Lucas. She found the clay pot that Mira had given her for her to make ointments for her sore feet. Mira was the only one here that knew how uncomfortable it is to be pregnant. She took it back outside where Nick had started a small fire.

She placed the leaves in the pot and poured water over it. Now they had to wait for it to boil. The other soldiers saw them but none of them moved from their positions. Captain Thomas had them on a short leash. When people looked into Lucas' eyes they saw cruelty but they didn't know what that word meant until they looked in Captain Dylan Thomas' eyes. She saw someone that killed because he enjoyed it, not to prove some point or get revenge. He liked killing and hurting people.

They sat in the chairs watching the flames as they heated the leaves. "Thank you" he said to her.

"I didn't do anything yet" She replied.

"I know, but you don't have to help" When he looked at her she reminded him of his sister, who was around the same age. His sister had no clue what he did for a living and by not telling her he was protecting her. He figured there was something wrong with him, he didn't mind when it was only Lucas they were after, hurting him wouldn't have been problem. They were chosen because they could be cold and calculating, they were killers. But with this girl looking like his sister, he didn't think he could bring himself to hurt her, especially since she was pregnant.

"Really? You're the one holding a gun standing in front of my door"

Nick bowed his head then looked at her. "I would never hurt you or your baby"

"But you would hurt Lucas" she replied as she gripped the sides of the chair and pulled herself up slowly with her stomach jutting out, and then looked him straight in the eyes. She knew what kind of men these were, what they were capable of doing. She knew most wouldn't hesitate to stab her in the belly if they were ordered too. Then there were other like Nick that might feel bad about it but would still do it if he was watching. And she none of them would hesitate in hurting or killing Lucas. So why was she helping. It was probably stupid to think that she could get them on her side. They feared Captain Thomas a lot more than they would ever like her.

When it was done she stirred it and let it simmer. She placed a strainer over the cup and poured the liquid into it. She didn't say anything as she handed him the cup. He took it from her now a little worried that she had poisoned it. "I said I'd help you, so I am. I keep my word" Nick looked back down at the cup and brought it to his lips and drank.

"Skye!" Lucas bellowed crashing through the door the other guard Jeffrey was on him in seconds, pushing him to ground and holding the gun to his temple.

"Lucas, it's okay. I'm here" she told him. "He was just looking for me, he was worried" she told Jeffrey.

"She's telling the truth, he was calling her name" Nick said joining them. "Let him go, and let's walk them both back inside so Lucas can get to work" Jeffrey tilted his neck from side to side cracking it, then roughly grabbed Lucas and shoved him back inside. Jeffrey was not one of the nice ones.

When they were both inside, they slammed the door closed. "Where were you? I woke up and you were gone? I thought they took you!" he said his sentences stringing together from the fear in his voice, his hand going her belly and resting on top of it. "I thought something happened to you!"

"I had to go to the bathroom so Nick took me" she told him. Unsure if she should tell him that she helped him cure an infection. Lucas would've asked her to poison him but that would just cause more problems for both of them. So she'd wait to tell him when he was calmer. "I'm sorry for scaring you" she said stroking the side of his face, then bringing her hand around the back of neck pulling him down and bringing her lips to his. He kissed her slowly and deeply. He pulled her as close as he could with her rounded belly in the way. "I was so worried"

"I know" she said in a soothing tone. "I know I'm sorry" He held her for a little while longer then went to the desk.

Skye walked into the bedroom and sat in the chair. The baby was really restless today so she knew lying down on the bed and trying to sleep was out the question.

He started writing and listening as Skye told the baby a story about a young boy that got lost in the jungle and was raised by apes, then one day when he was older and was exploring the jungle he saw her, a young woman, he fell in love and he gave up the only life he knew to go back with her to her world.

He had never heard that story before. He knew Skye's grandfather Jonathan Tate was some kind of famous writer, so she probably grew up hearing all kinds of stories. It's probably where she got her need for adventure from. He grew up in a military family and stories of war and death were not something you shared with children.

When he didn't feel her in the bed he panicked. He thought that they had taken her because he wasn't working fast enough. They were all that mattered to him now. They had been here a week and his only saving grace was none of the soldiers knew anything about advanced quantum physics. So the fact that he wasn't really doing anything but writing down fake equations went right past them. But he knew he couldn't keep that up.

He knew men like them, he was men like them. He'd taken lives; he didn't hesitate to hurt people. Their screams of pain were music to his ears. And now his dreams were plagued with the horrible things they would do to Skye and the baby.

He didn't want to open the portal for them; he didn't want them to bring more men back with them. He needed to protect his family. Yes, his family that's what they were to him now and he couldn't let anything to happen to them.

He knew what he needed to do even if that meant he might not be able to welcome his child into the world.

Tbc…


	18. Chapter 18

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 18<p>

Skye was sitting in a chair singing softly to the baby while Lucas was at his desk scribbling furiously. She knew something had changed. She didn't have that much knowledge of physics but she knew before he was pretending to be working on solving the equation, now he looked to be actually working on it. She knew she was the reason; she had scared him when he woke up and she was gone. She wasn't used to telling anyone where she was going, before it was only herself she had to worry about. She supposed they both were still getting used to that.

They both looked up when they heard the commotion. It was loud and there was a lot of yelling. Skye made her way to the door and was almost toppled over as Nick opened it. "Skye, we need you!" he said. She looked down and saw his hands were covered in blood. "We were attacked, Larson was shot" She felt Lucas' eyes on her.

"Where's Mira?" she asked.

"She's out on recon mission. You're the only one that can help" Nick pleaded with her.

She followed Nick to the wounded man; they had him laid out on one of the tables. "What is she doing here?" demanded a man with a Corporal badge on his arm. She closed her eyes he was the same rank has her father.

"She's a doctor" Nick replied.

"…I'm not…" she started saying.

The Corporal glared at her. "Save him then" he ordered more than said.

Skye looked at the man he was drenched in blood. She only sat in during a surgery she never actually performed one. He was alert so that was good. "Umm…can you move your hands and feet for me…?"

"Jack" the Corporal replied hovering over them.

"Jack, can you move them for me?" She asked again and she saw the slight movements which was good it meant there wasn't damage to his spinal cord or neck. She took over applying pressure to the wound. "I need you to hold his arm up over his head and apply pressure between the shoulder and elbow" She told Corporal Pierce. "I need to stop the bleeding to see where the bullet is and how much damage it's done"

The Corporal did as she asked. She saw his face etched with concern but she didn't have to think of what that meant. She wiped off the remaining blood and removed the biggest chunk of the bullet she could find and applied pressure again. "Keep holding that spot on his arm, it's the brachial artery. It slows the bleeding down"

The Corporal nodded. "I need alcohol" she told them and the soldiers spread out and came back with a bunch of different bottles. She took the nearest one. "Hold him down, this is going to sting" The soldiers came over and held his shoulders down and she poured it on his wound. She used a rag to clean away the dirt and debris. "I need a knife" she said and held her hand out and one was placed on it. She took a deep breath, exhaled and cut away the dead flesh away from the cavity and picked out the remaining bullet fragments. She poured more alcohol on it and wiped it down again. She poured clean water on it and patted it dry, then began stitching him up. She was so busy focusing on the surgery she wasn't paying attention to the patient. She should've realized something was wrong when he didn't flinch when she started stitching. He was unconscious and his skin was turning an ash color. He needed blood.

"He needs blood; do you know his blood type?" She asked not even sure if she could do a transfusion in the jungle.

"A positive" the Corporal replied looking down at Jack. "Like me" he said rolling up his sleeve.

She made the other soldiers gather bamboo shoots since that's all they had to use as tubing. She prayed it would work. If he died it wouldn't be good for her or for Lucas.

She sat down in a chair by the fire, night had fallen quickly and she was exhausted. She had performed her first surgery; she was just waiting to see if she was successful. The Corporal whose name is James supplied blood for the first transfusion and another solider did for the second one. Now all they could do was wait and see if he woke up.

She found out they were attacked by Commander Taylor and his soldiers while on a routine hunting trip. They managed to wound enough of his men so he wouldn't follow them back here. What was she doing? Taylor was trying to kill them off and here she was trying to save them. She always seemed to find herself working against him. That's really not the way to repay the man that took her in when she needed someone. Although it's not like she had a choice, her main goal was keeping her baby and Lucas alive.

Mira and her team walked back into the camp an hour later and saw her sitting by the fire. She walked over to just as James was. "He's awake" Corporal James told her.

"That's good" Skye replied.

"Thank you" he said and walked away.

Mira raised her eyebrow at her. "He was shot, I saved him" she told her with semi-fake enthusiasm. She was grateful that he was still alive with ancient surgery techniques.

She held her arm out so Mira could help her stand up. Skye walked back to the hut because Mira said she'd check on the soldier and do what she could to help him. They had kept Lucas inside saying he needed to do his work, while she did hers.

"How did they know you had medical training?" Lucas asked when she went inside. "Did you tell them?" he asked there was a slight edge to his voice.

She sighed; she knew he'd be angry with her which is why she didn't tell him. He didn't know how to deal with people well, but she did. It was what she was good at. She didn't feel like explaining that to him. "I'm tired Lucas. I did what I had to do, there's really nothing to discuss"

"Why would you help them?" Lucas asked trying to calm his erratic breathing. He didn't like her being out there with them. They were dangerous and with they baby she couldn't fight back anymore.

"Because it's the right thing to do" She replied.

"And if you failed" he asked. "What then?"

"Then we would've had to deal with it" she told him. "But I didn't fail, I saved him using basic materials and my hands" she said finally realizing what she had done, she performed surgery.

"You shouldn't have told them" he said to her.

"If I had known her training was that advanced I would've told her to tell them" Mira said walking into their hut.

"And put herself in even more danger" Lucas replied back. It wasn't that he didn't want her to accomplish things and be proud of what she could do. He was worried about those soldiers; they weren't like the ones in Terra Nova or the one's she served with. If she wasn't visibly pregnant when they were brought here, he didn't even want to think what they would've done to her.

"No, Lucas" Mira said. "She just made herself useful, they need her now. Their doctor and his medical staff were killed by a Rex that stampeded through their old camp." Mira let that sink in. "They won't kill her now." She told them. "They'll still hurt you if you don't obey but they won't kill you" she added so Skye wouldn't forget the kind of men they were dealing with.

It was almost dawn when Lucas crawled into their bed; he had spent the whole night working on his calculations. He had been more distant lately; at first she thought he was still mad that they had made her their doctor. But that was over a week ago and he still would barely say two words to her. She reminded him how much she needed him, how much their baby needed him. He'd just reply that he knows, and then go back to his work. She knew he was planning something; she was worried about what that was.

Skye finished cleaning the wound and placed a clean bandage on top of it. There was no infection so the ointment Mira made was working. He thanked her and she smiled at him. When she was saving his life she really didn't look at his face when she had she realized he was young, a year older than her. Then she found out that Corporal James was his older brother.

She walked out of his room and went over to the lab to check on Caden and Peter the two twenty year old soliders that she had making the prehistoric mosquito repellent. In this time they were huge and a bite from them was deadly. She walked in and heard them talking about their sexual escapades. They went quiet when they saw her.

"Sorry" they said apologizing to her.

"Really guys, do I look like some innocent virgin to you?" she said to them with her hands resting on her extremely swollen belly. She was thirty four weeks now. She had been working as their doctor for over a month.

"No Ma'am" they both replied.

"Ma'am, now you make me sound like an old woman"

"Skye" they replied with a smile.

"That's better." She said to them. "Don't stop on my account, just as long as you are paying attention. This ointment can save a lot of lives" They both nodded and got back to work and continued their discussion. She walked over to a chair and sat down; the baby was rolling around so much she could barely walk.

* * *

><p>She found him outside standing still with his eyes closed. Her mom had invited him over dinner. He was polite as he usually was and after they had finished eating and walking towards the living room he told her he needed some air. She gave him some time then went to join him.<p>

She walked over to him and he looked at her and gave her a weak smile. "I'm sorry, I haven't been…"

"Its okay" she said before he could finish his apology. She knew what he was apologizing for and she didn't need him to apologize for that.

"I think he's given up" He told her, most of the soldiers had. They would do what they were told but they weren't trying anymore. They were ready to just leave her out there with a baby on the way. It was getting closer and closer to her due date and that's what had he worried more than anything else.

Maddie Shannon didn't know how to respond to that, she didn't think anything she would say would help so she reached out and hesitantly touched his shoulder.

His head turned to look at her. "She can't give birth in a jungle"

"Women have been giving birth without medical technology for thousands of years and if anyone can do it she can; she's one of the strongest people I have ever met" Maddie told him. "Not that she should have to, but if she does. She'll be okay" she continued hoping he'd say something so she can stop rambling.

Mark turned to look at his girlfriend. He couldn't believe she was still with him; he had spent all this time worrying about another girl. But she had stuck by him and comforted him. He turned around and wrapped Maddie into his arms. He couldn't imagine spending his life without her by his side. So yes he was going to ask her to marry him. But he couldn't not until he knew that Skye and her baby were okay.

He held her content to just hold her forever. He needed her strength, her optimism. He closed his eyes when he felt his communicator vibrate. "I have to go, the Commander wants me" he told Maddie as he caressed her cheek. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

Sergeant Riley had set it was urgent and he was to gather all of his unit and go to Fort Taylor immediately. He hadn't come up with any new ideas of Skye's whereabouts so that meant this was for something else. He was kind of worried about what that meant.

His brows furrowed when he saw the gates open and rovers roll in. _What was going on? Why was the Commander recalling all the soldiers?_ He kept walking and made his way to the Fort and saw that all the soldiers were headed there.

* * *

><p>She was looking over her notes when she heard the engines of the rovers and trucks; another group was back from another recon mission. She pushed herself up and walked out of the medical hut to see if there were any injuries on this one. What she saw was a crowd of people around one of the trucks. She looked up and saw Lucas standing in the doorway. She was curious now so she walked over to see what was going on.<p>

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened as she sucked in a breath. On the truck bed lay a crudely put together wooden coffin.

Lucas had joined them because with this discovery everyone was standing around trying to get a good look. The soldiers on the truck slowly lifted the lid, inside they found a skeleton and various other things that none of them had ever seen before.

One of them lifted up and held one of them. Skye and Lucas looked at each other, they knew what those things were, they were 18th century nautical navigational tools. This is what they wanted to find out, evidence of the people from the ship. This may be one of them or a descendant. She wanted to go to their hut to discuss it she could see he did too. She was startled when she turned to look at the coffin again and found Captain Pierce standing in front of her. "I want you to find out everything you can about this body"

"That's a skeleton, I'm a medical doctor not an anthropologist" She told him keeping his eye contact.

"You are one now" he told her as he nodded his head and two men walked over with the rifles raised not at her head but at her belly. "Learn quickly Skye, that baby isn't going to be in there forever"

Her face registered the shock of his veiled threat. She saw Lucas start to lunge for him but was brought down by a blow to the back of his knees from a gun. Mira grabbed her shoulder and Skye turned to look at her in a dark scowl. "We'll figure it out, Sir" Mira told him and shook her head at Skye.

"And you" he said looking at Lucas who was struggling to stand back up. "Next time I'll have them, break your legs. You don't need them to solve the equation"

Skye gave one last glance at Lucas and saw the distress marred across his features as she and Mira were led to the medical hut. Cruel didn't even begin to describe Captain Pierce, he always felt the need to keep reminding them they were prisoners.

Tbc...


	19. Chapter 19

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 19<p>

Lucas was talking to her again but only to discuss what she's discovered about the body. He was acting like he did when she first told him she was pregnant, he would barely look at her and he didn't want to feel the baby move. He was distancing himself from her and she didn't know why. When she asked him, he said he was doing this for her.

"For me!" she yelled at him. 'It barely feels you are with me!" She had said to him and stormed off into the bedroom. She got more upset when he didn't follow her. Maybe she was being irrational, maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or maybe he didn't want the baby anymore. But then why was he still here, without her he could escape and hide in the jungle like before. She was the one that couldn't run. So now she was just confused.

In the morning she found him asleep his head on his desk. She woke him to tell him she was going to work. He looked at her groggily, picked up his Plex screen and started typing.

She knocked on the door, Nick opened it. She gave one last glance back at Lucas; he still had his back to her. "Bye" she said and walked out the door. She didn't know how to get him to talk to her, he shut himself off.

Lucas pretended to be writing when she left he looked towards the door. He hated doing this to her but he needed to solve this and to do that, it needed to be his only focus. He needed to get this done before the baby came. He was doing this for her; everything was now for her and their child.

Skye was staring down at the skeleton when she heard him stomping into the hut. She stood behind the table when entered. She stood tall as he approached. She hated the fact that she was dressed in their uniform, but she had no choice all the clothes she had were too tight for her expanding belly. So now here she was wearing the army fatigues of the Phoenix Group.

She was a little confused by his silence then she saw why. Colonel Landry walked in. She had only met the real leader of this group twice; he mostly stayed in his fort and gave orders. His silver hair was cropped short and he was a big man with a broad chest and shoulders. His nickname was The Mountain.

"So what do we have here?" He asked his voice deep and gruff. "Or who?"

Skye cleared her throat. "It's a female" she began. "….from the jaw and pelvis size" she managed to get out before the baby kicked her really hard causing her to cry out. It felt like it almost left an indentation. "Sorry" she apologized holding her stomach.

"That's all you have?" he said ignoring her pain.

She took deep breaths and continued as the baby continued to kick her; she could feel the baby's feet beneath her hands. "She was over forty when she died" she told him, she didn't know what they really expected she wasn't trained for this, she dealt with living people.

"Which was when?"

"That I'm still working on figuring out"

"Do you have an estimate, Specialist Tate?" he asked drawing the last part out.

He had taken to calling her that, to remind her he knew who she was and what rank she held before she quit the military. And by giving her a rank it also made it seem like she was working for them. "Judging from the bug eggs we found on the body…she died about fifty years ago"

The Colonel tilted his head and looked at the body. "And you're sure about that?"

"You asked for an estimate, Sir" she replied back.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "I did" he replied. "So give or take…"

"A few years, all I know for certain is, this body is younger than an hundred years old" He nodded and scanned the skeleton. "And that's not all, Sir" she said. "From the markings on the pelvis, she's given birth, and I don't know if they survived…"

"If she gave birth here, then there may be others with us on this planet" He finished her thought for her then turned around and walked out of the room.

She let out the breath she had been holding when she saw Captain Pierce follow him out.

* * *

><p>Commander Taylor stood behind his railing. "I know you are all wondering why I recalled you from your missions. And that's because we have a new one." He wasn't giving up, but he had to put his attention on other matters to protect the colony. It had been over three and half months and they hadn't found a trace of her or Lucas. If he couldn't find her then he would do the next best thing and take out the threat. "Whatever it is they are doing out there, it's not good and I'm not going to wait around for it to be too late." He paused to wait for them to catch up. He knew this task wasn't going to be easy; these weren't petty criminals they would be dealing with trained soldiers. So it would take some time maybe a month or more to prepare for this kind of mission because he didn't plan on losing. "We're going to Badlands and taking on the Phoenix Group!"<p>

He looked up when he saw a shadow cover his paperwork.

"Just like that, you're going to give up looking for her!" he said loudly after he had asked permission to speak freely. "Because if you do this that means she's giving birth out there in the jungle without medical help."

"I know" He replied calmly and stood up from his desk. "I know how much you care about her and I do too. However I don't have just her to think about. I have an entire colony that trusts me to keep them safe. The Phoenix Group is a danger to all of us, including Skye… and her baby. In order to protect everyone from having to go through the first Phoenix Group attack again, this is what needs to be done" He told him firmly. "And you are either fighting by my side or standing around doing nothing to protect your people!" He got right in Mark's face. "Which choice are you making Private First Class Reynolds?"

"I'm with you, Sir!" he said bringing his hand up to salute.

He gave Mark permission to speak freely because he knew what he would say. The pain in his heart was enough of a reminder that he was abandoning Skye. He just hoped that Lucas would step up and take responsibility for her and his child. That he would protect them.

* * *

><p>He was erasing so hard that he ripped the paper in half; he crumpled it up in his fist and threw it at the wall. Lucas ran his hands through his hair; the rage was boiling up inside of him. He couldn't get it, that last part of the equation, it wasn't coming together. He couldn't afford a mistake in this everything had to be perfect otherwise it wouldn't work.<p>

He looked over towards the bedroom; he rubbed his hand on his face. The Phoenix Group had been busy building boats to sail across the ocean to the other side because that's the theory they came up with as to where the people from the 18th century ship went too. They guessed that they tore apart the bigger ship and made smaller ones. It made sense because they hadn't found any other parts of the ship. It took them a month but with his help they had finally made a few ships and the lucky group that chosen to go on that mission were getting ready to sail off. Part of him wanted to go to see if any of them had survived or what they had managed to do with the limited resources and knowledge they possessed. But that wasn't what was important to him now. That time off had wasted precious time, he needed to find what he was missing to make the portal work, he needed to protect his family.

She was sitting on the chair reading when she felt it, the wetness trickling down her legs leaving her sitting in a slippery messy puddle. She placed her hands on either side of the chair's arms and picked herself up and waddled over to the door calling his name.

He looked up when he heard her and saw her standing in the doorway one hand holding the doorframe. "Lucas, I think my water just broke"

It took a few seconds for his brain to process what she said. "What?" he asked.

Suddenly she hunched forward, a surprising and shocking pain gripped unmercifully at her belly. He's was at her side in a flash catching her elbow and supporting her as her knees buckle beneath her. "It's too early, we have another week" His voice pleading with worry, the anxiety mounting in his heart.

"The baby apparently didn't get that memo" Skye says through panted breaths holding the underside of her belly. Finally the contraction stopped and she took a few short, tentative breaths and straightened up. "The baby's coming now" she said to him the pain still fresh in her mind, _fuck _she said silently in her head, she wasn't ready for this yet.

Lucas looked at her concerned. This wasn't supposed to be happening, he wasn't ready. He hadn't solved the equation yet. He hadn't saved them.

Tbc..


	20. Chapter 20

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 20<p>

She was pacing by the bed she was too nervous to lie down and she read it's better to stay a little active in the first stage when the contractions were further apart. She had, had false labor contractions a few times in the past few weeks while she was at work. When she tried to tell Lucas he snapped at her, so kept it to herself.

When the second one hit twenty minutes later she still wasn't prepared for it.

He watched her stiffen as the contraction tightened in her abdomen. She doubled over and gripped the side of the bed until her knuckles turned white. He was frozen in place; he didn't know what to do. Mira glared at him and ran to hold Skye's arm and help her breath through the contraction.

He had retreated to the corner of the room when Mira helped Skye change into a hospital gown and he hadn't moved from that spot. He wasn't ready for this, it was easier when the baby just her bump she carried around. _What were they doing?_ _He can't be a father. This wasn't happening yet. _

Skye squeezed Mira's hand as she talked her through her breathing. Never in a millions years would she have thought that Mira would be the one helping her through this. She was so grateful that she was. She tried to keep her eyes locked on hers as the pain rolled like waves through her body. It was like having the worst menstrual cramps you could ever imagine.

The baby was coming and Lucas wasn't with her. He was in the room but he looked like he wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't raise this baby on her own. Why wasn't he here? Why was he acting like she didn't matter anymore? She knew this was the first real relationship, if they were calling it a relationship, for either of them. So they were both lost, but she needed him now.

Mira sighed and helped Skye on the bed when the contraction was over. She looked over at Lucas who looked like he was going to pass out from fear. This wasn't some sappy movie where the happy expectant father waits dutifully by the mother's side. They didn't plan this, they weren't in a relationship prior to it, they were two people that were brought together by circumstance and a baby was suddenly added to the mix.

Skye was young and Lucas was emotionally stunted from a tragedy that he had never recovered from. She knew that from the second she saw Skye was pregnant that they weren't ready for parenthood, not that one ever truly is. She knew Skye like always would make the best of it. Lucas was the one she was worried about.

Lucas was a fragile as you could get as an adult, how would he care for someone as fragile as a newborn child? He looked like he was about to fall apart right there. She almost had to laugh at herself, she told Lucas that once he became a father he'd understand and now he was about to be one.

She knew Lucas cared about Skye and she knew his fear wasn't about her it was about the realization that he was going to be a father. It was the scariest thing in the world to become a parent, to know you're responsible for another life. She was mad that he wasn't strong enough to be by her side right now but she understood and she hoped he'd come around eventually because her pain would only increase from here on out.

Three hours later once again the agonizing pain wraps itself around her waist, dissolving her into a writhing, whimpering mess. This wasn't supposed to be happening, she shouldn't even be pregnant. She was eighteen she should be out partying and playing beer pong not laying here in unimaginable pain. She was trying to save Josh's life not create a new one.

She hated Josh as much as she hated Lucas for putting her in this position. If Josh hadn't intervened she wouldn't be feeling this aching pain that started out every twenty minutes and was now coming every fifteen minutes.

After six hours she was still grimacing through the pain. How hard would've it have been to get a condom? They had plenty in their house. Why had she been so stupid? She would rather be doing anything else than this right now. She could be OTG with Hunter, Max and Tash playing around by Snakehead Falls laughing and not having a care in the world.

He felt a flicker of anxiety deep within his chest after it had been eight hours. It had been so long, why was this taking so long? Mira had told her to stand up and try walking around for a bit so now he was watching her pace back and forth, sucking in deep breaths through pursed lips as the contractions continued to rise and fall.

He wanted to go to her but he was shaking so much he thought if he tried walking he'd just fall flat on his face. So he sat there in the chair he had Mira brought for him. She was talking to Skye, she knew what to say. He had no clue what he could say. It was better if she did. She was keeping Skye calm, he would probably make her angry. How long did this take? Was everything okay? He wanted to ask Mira but when he talked all that came out were small croaks and they were both too busy to even look at him.

* * *

><p>Commander Taylor stared down at the holographic map on the table in his command room. Jim Shannon and Sergeant Riley were with him. Neither of them said anything to him because they he was thinking the same thing, Skye was nine months, she could have the baby at any time now.<p>

However the mission at hand was more important. He moved the avatars around to put them in the position he thought were the best options. They'd take five units of twenty soldiers to flank their camp and trap them in the middle. That would leave thirty soldiers to protect the colony while they were gone.

He knew the Phoenix Group had lost their doctor, so he hoped they would surrender before there were too many casualties. He had sent scouting groups out to survey the perimeter, they had found nothing to report. That worried him because that meant they weren't venturing far from their camp and that meant they could be planning their own attack or something else had caught their attention, either way he wasn't going to wait any longer to find out. They would gather all the supplies and weapons they would need and head out.

* * *

><p>Eleven hours later Lucas watched anxiously from the doorway as she rolled on her left side, eyes wide and pupils dilated in pain, her entire body trembled, and sweat trickled down the side of her face. He didn't even know if she could see him standing in the doorway or if she was lost in her own hellish world.<p>

He still couldn't bring himself to go to her. He actually had to leave for a little bit to get some air or he'd pass out, which was stupid and selfish of him she was the one in pain. Even outside he could hear her cries of agony. The other soldiers could too and they'd glance towards the hut with every scream she made, this wasn't a hospital the wall of the hut was made of bamboo.

She was curled up in a tiny ball gripping her belly and moaning her way another surging wave. She didn't want to be pregnant anymore. "Get it out me!" she screamed. "Please" she whimpered looking up at Mira. She didn't want to be pregnant anymore.

"It's not time yet, Skye" Mira said to her. She felt horrible that she couldn't give her anything herbal medicine was toxic to pregnant women, she had to ride through the pain. Her contractions were about six minutes apart so they were still too far. It won't be much longer" she said, even though it could be a lie she didn't know how much longer she had. She was in labor for almost thirteen hours with her daughter.

Skye closed her eyes; her mouth set in a grim line, but nodded and lets out a shaky breath.

"I know" Mira said touching her hair which was damp with sweat. "I know" she took a rag and wiped away what she could. She knew what it was like; she remembered what it was like. "You're a fighter, Skye, just a little bit longer."

Fourteen hours later, Skye was crushing her hand as the pain from the contraction gradually increased. Lucas had left the room again, he didn't go far this time, he was leaning on the wall just outside the door. She couldn't yell at him because at least he was here. Her ex left when she told him about the baby and never looked back. Lucas could've gone back to his hut and continued to work on his calculations but he was still here.

She couldn't leave Skye's side now; she was in too much pain to time her contractions that were now coming every four minutes.

At the sixteenth hour, Mira helped Skye sit up and arranged towels behind her back, all they had were regular beds so she was trying to get her as close to edge as she could. Skye was so exhausted that she could barely hold herself up right as she trembled in pain that came every two minutes.

She turned to Lucas who had reentered the room. "It's time, Lucas. She needs you" she told him. "You helped created this life now go over and help her bring your child into this world"

He swallowed hard and he could feel his heart beating in his throat, pounding so loudly that he can't hear anything else. But somehow his feet managed to go to the bed. Skye was pale, her hair was matted to her forehead, she looked like she was about to pass out. And yet he still found her beautiful.

"I can't get her close enough to the edge; I need you to get behind her"

Again he moved to do what Mira said but it felt like he was on autopilot. He moved around behind her, his long legs on either side of her, Skye leaned back against him; her sweat drenched gown soaking through onto his shirt. Her knees were bent as Mira positioned herself between her thighs. He felt her shaking and trembling, her breathing coming in short gasps.

"Okay, you can push now Skye" Mira said to her.

"I can't" Skye lets out in a croaked whisper.

"Yes, you can" Mira said to her.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her chest and brought his face to her ear. "I'm the coward, you're the strong one" He told her wiping her hair from her face. "You're the only one of us that can do this"

"Is that your genius assessment?" she asked breathlessly.

"It is" he replied smiling at her. She had no idea how much brighter is world had gotten because she was in it. She laughed softly, and that was music to his ears. She was his light, his conscience, his world.

She took a deep breath curled forward and bore down, gripping the bed sheets as her body quivered. His hands still around her he's forced forward with her. A sharp cry escaped her lips as her skin stretched and she lets out a shuddering breath and he sees the baby's head eases its way out. Skye sagged back against him in exhaustion.

"I need you to keep pushing Skye" Mira said cradling the tiny head in her hands.

"Come on Skye, let me be you're strength now." He said to her and laid his hand palm up. "I love you" he whispered into her ear.

He felt her stiffen as those words left his mouth; he never told her that before. He wanted to but he was afraid she didn't feel the same way. She turned her head slightly to look at him, and placed her hands in his.

She bore down again, crushing his hands as her entire body strained against him and he sees a shoulder.

Her breathing erratic, she looked at him. "I love you too" she said as she pushed once more, her body trembled even more violently at the sudden strange feeling of emptiness as the baby slides into Mira's arms.

She fell back into Lucas' completely and utterly spent as a loud wailing filled the room.

"It's a girl!" Mira said to them with a smile on her face. She wiped the blood and fluid off the baby, wrapped her in a blanket and stood up. "Meet your daughter" she said as she placed the baby in Skye's arms.

Tears trickle over her cheeks as she reached for the baby and draws it to her chest. The baby wails loudly and struggled on her chest, trying out her long limbs for the first time. This is what they must've meant by love at first sight. She had never felt anything like this. It was everything all rolled into one.

Lucas was peering over her shoulder at the small wiggling, crying baby in her arms. His daughter. He reached out and tentatively touched her little fingers. She was so small and helpless and already he had overpowering need to protect her. He looked at the soft whips of brown hair on the top of her head, her small nose and lips that were definitely from Skye. He felt warmth come over him and he felt it trickle down his face, he reached up and touched his own cheek and felt that it wasn't warmth. He was crying. He hadn't really cried since the day his mother died.

He sucked in his breath when she wrapped her little hand lightly around his finger. He was crying and he didn't care, he had never felt so much joy before. He gently kissed Skye's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Skye. I should've been here"

"You're here now and that's what matters" she replied unable to take her eyes from the tiny being in her arms. "We just need you now. Promise me you won't go away again" She didn't realize how much she needed him until he started pulling away from her.

He had been so lost in his own world until he met her, it wasn't just need, he loved her more then he loved himself. Her life, their lives were more important than his. "I will keep both of you safe, that I promise you"

Tbc...


	21. Chapter 21

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 21<p>

After she finished cleaning up she left them alone for a bit. "You need to get some rest, Skye" She said entering the room again. She smiled as she saw Skye bring the baby closer to her chest. She knew that feeling, you carried that child inside of you for nine months and now that you met them you never wanted to let go of them. "It's okay, she'll by right here besides your bed" She told her pushing the cradle over to her.

Shocked, Skye looked at Lucas. "He told me where to find it" Mira said walking over to them.

"I worked hard on that, I wasn't going to let it go to waste" He told her and she laughed.

Skye looked at Lucas then at her. Her arms slowly moved and Mira slid her arms under hers to take the baby. She walked over to the cradle and gently placed the baby on the soft blankets.

Lucas threw the towels and extra blankets on the floor and helped Skye move up on the bed so she could lie down. She rolled to her side so she can see the cradle holding her daughter. Lucas moved his hand from her shoulder. "No, stay with me" she said and nodded and laid down next to her as she grabbed his arm and put it around her.

He pressed light kisses on her shoulder and neck and held her tightly. "She needs a name" Skye said in a sleepy whisper.

"I think the name we choose is perfect" he said back to her. They had gone through a list of names for both genders and surprisingly settled on a name for each.

"Yeah, it is" she said softly. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep. His heart was still beating too fast, so he couldn't relax. He was a father now. That tiny being besides them would depend on him to keep her safe. He planned on doing that before Summer Ayani Taylor was born.

Mira walked into the room two hours later to check on the baby who for now was sleeping as peacefully as her mother.

Lucas slipped his arm from under Skye's and gently slid off the bed. He walked over to Mira. "Here" he said thrusting out his hand with a piece of paper in it.

Mira's eyes rose in confusion as she took the paper from him. "What's this?"

"The equation for the portal at Arrow Point clearing" he told her that's what they decided to name the place because the markings left by the portal had made a triangle in the grass. "You need to find a Plex. I've written down exactly what you need to do to open the portal to 2149"

Her breath caught in her throat as looked down at the piece of paper in her hands and back at him. She couldn't believe he had finished it, he thought they had forgotten about her after everything that's happened. She didn't blame them; they were trying to keep each other alive. So many people promised her things and never delivered. Lucas was one person she never thought would follow through on his promise. He had changed.

"You better go now" he told her. "Skye having the baby is enough of a distraction for you to leave unnoticed."

She felt tears start to form in the corner of her eyes. She so badly wanted to go. She wanted and needed to see her daughter. But then she looked at the sleeping newborn in her cradle. This was no place for a baby.

"Mira go, we'll be okay" she heard Skye say from the bed.

She had woken up when Lucas got off the bed. She wanted to cry when she saw that Lucas kept his promise to her. She fell even more in love with him.

"Skye" Mira said. "There's still so much to learn"

"I'm sure I can pick it up, I'm clever" She replied. "Go"

Mira bit her lip as a few tears streamed down her face and nodded. "Thank you"

"There's no need for thanks, you delivered my daughter, now go be with yours"

Mira looked at Skye then at Lucas. "Goodbye" she said to them and they both said it back and she left the room.

Now it was just the three of them. He heard little whimpering coming from the cradle, Summer was waking up. "I guess she's hungry?" Skye said.

Lucas moved towards the cradle and stared down at his daughter. His heart beat sped up and his hands started sweating. "I've never held a baby before"

"Neither have I until two hours ago" Skye told him. "Just be gentle and support her neck."

Lucas took deep breathes and bent down and gently slid his right hand under her head and his left under her butt. He picked her up very slowly and held her out in front of him. He was so nervous he thought his shaking would hurt the baby, so he took very slow steps towards Skye.

Skye bit her lip to keep from laughing. "She's not a dinner platter, Lucas" she said stifling a laugh as he walked over and handed their daughter to her.

* * *

><p>He placed the last of the supplies and weapons they would need for their attack on the truck. The other units were doing the same. Malcolm had found a way to silence the engines so they would be able to use the trucks to sneak up on them.<p>

Jim was standing by his family saying goodbye. He was leading one of the units, Sergeant Riley and his two new Lt's were leading the other two.

He was bringing Mark with him to watch the young man and make sure he didn't run off into the jungle by himself to try to save Skye. He knew what happened at Military school with the two of them. They had made a stupid and rash decision risking their own lives to save others in a mock environment.

He waited while the soldiers said their goodbyes to their loved ones; he realized all his were either dead or gone. He was the one that was truly alone now. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder he turned around to see Deborah Tate.

"Deborah" he said softly. Seeing her was always the hardest. He promised her he'd bring her home and he failed. She looked amazing though, Dr. Shannon and Malcolm had managed to find a cure. So now she was a vibrant and spirited as Skye. Skye was a daddy's girl but looks wise she was her mother's daughter.

She stood their quietly for a moment. "Get those sons of bitches!" She said to him in a voice that was strong and healthy.

He gave a small laugh as he let out the breath he had been holding. "I will" he told her with a smile.

"I know we'll meet our grandchild one day and its better we make this a safe place so we can annoy Skye by spoiling him or her. That's our right as grandparents"

Commander Taylor smiled and nodded his head.

She reached out and touched his shoulder again. "You're not alone, Nathanial. We're all family now and I know we'll be together again."

* * *

><p>After she had finished feeding her, Summer went back to sleep so Lucas put her back in the cradle. "And now I'm thirsty" Skye said, she was leaning against the headboard of the bed adjusting her gown back to its original position.<p>

"I'll go get you some water" Lucas replied and turned towards the door.

"Lucas, wait!" Skye said. "Come here"

He turned back around and walked over to her. She brought her hands up and around his neck, brought his face to hers and kissed him.

He threaded his hands through her hair. Lips and tongues met in a heated kiss, lingering until they were both breathless. He pulled away cupping her face in his hands as he started into her eyes.

"I love you" she said

"I love you too" he replied back. Why had he been so afraid of those three words before, they left his lips so easily now. He smiled at her and left to get her water.

Skye sighed and leaned back against the pillow. She closed her eyes she was exhausted and sore. Her eyes snapped open when she heard footsteps they were too heavy to be Lucas'. Captain Pierce appeared in the doorway. "I thought I'd offer my congratulations"

Her eyes darted toward her daughter as her heart beat sped up. Why had she put her back in the cradle, she should've held her while she slept. She was helpless and she wouldn't be able to get off the bed before he was by her. That didn't matter she needed to protect her baby. She moved to jump off the bed and was pushed backwards.

"No need to move on my account" he told her with his wicked smile. He turned his head to the side and looked at her baby. "She's beautiful" he said turning back to look at her. "Just like her mother"

She hated that she still wasn't strong enough to do anything. She was still on her back holding herself with her elbows, everything below her waist throbbed in pain, the only thing she could do was cross her legs because she was in a hospital gown. She still had the pouch that carried her baby so it was hard to maneuver herself into a sitting position.

Her eyes darted towards the door wishing Lucas would come back now.

Captain Pierce followed her gaze. "He had to go back to work" he told her and nodded his head at the soldier that walked in with a glass of water. The soldier handed the glass to him and he held it out to Skye. "He said you were thirsty and with all that screaming you were doing. I can see why"

Skye slid backwards so she was once again sitting up against the headboard. Her hand reached out shakily and took the glass from him. She brought the glass to her lips, drank it and handed it back to him.

"Do you need more?" he asked. He smiled when she didn't reply. "You can't think I'm a complete monster, I let Lucas stay here for the birth of his child." He told her. "I didn't have to do that you know. I could've forced him to keep working and miss it." He handed the glass to the soldier and nodded; the soldier ran out of the room and came back with a full glass. And again he handed it to her.

She brought the glass to her lips and looked over it to her daughter. She was still sleeping but she didn't know for how much longer. She'd probably need to be changed soon. A month ago Mira had showed her how to make cloth diapers. They made them while they had down time in the infirmary between them they had made a few hundred. So that's what Summer was wearing right now.

She was afraid of how Captain Pierce would act if she started crying. If he did anything she wouldn't be able to stop him but she'd die trying.

"So now that I've done two things nice for you, we're going to have a little chat" He said and sat down on the bed.

She flinched and slid over so he wouldn't touch her. But he reached out and placed his hand on her bare leg. The hospital gown only went to her knees. She should've changed into her clothes, why didn't she change?

She knew Lucas probably put up a fight, so he could be injured and need her help. But they would just drag him to the hut and force him to work, probably threatening to hurt her and their baby if he didn't comply. She was worried for him and she need him to be here with her.

He smiled at her discomfort. "You see Skye" he began. "There's this guy I know…who in 2144 found himself a prisoner of war in a little place called Seychelles" He smiled at again at her trying to hide her obvious shock. He continued. "He was starved and dehydrated and in a fever induced haze he swore he saw a ten year old girl wearing a US Military uniform take out his guards with perfect shots to the chest." He paused to let that sink in. "He didn't believe it…until he read the report and saw that it wasn't a ten year old girl it was a fourteen year old girl, Specialist…Skye… Alexandria…Tate."

He watched the emotions cross her features. "Sending a fourteen year old, even a top military school recruit into a war zone, I'm sure Commander Taylor was furious with General Philbrick for that decision"

"Why are you telling me what I already know?" she asked when she found her voice.

"Because I know if I gave you a gun right now you wouldn't hesitate blowing my head off" Her intense glare told him she wasn't going to deny it. "Did you step over the children…on your way to rescue the POW's, Skye?" he asked her and stood up the bed shifting from the sudden loss of extra weight. "When there's a war no man, woman or…child is safe." He said walking towards the door. "Remember that" he said as he left.

Her entire body shuttered and shook as she tried to breath. She tried to forget all of it. She didn't want to remember any of it. No one knew what she was doing; her unit thought she had earned leave time to spend with her parents. They didn't know that she was being deployed for battle. No one was supposed to know about it. They asked her father for permission and he said if she wanted to go he would allow it.

"_Bucket, you don't have to this" he said to her with his hand on her shoulder. She hadn't seen him months. He was stationed in Bangkok and she was stuck at The Point in North Carolina. She wanted to make him proud, show him she was a soldier like him. So she went. _

After that he found a way to get them to Terra Nova, they wanted a fresh start, a new beginning for them as a family, a new beginning that lasted six months. It wasn't war that took him it was disease. She sometimes wondered if they had never come here her father would still be alive. But then she never would've met Lucas and she never would've had her daughter. She got off the bed and went to the cradle and picked up her baby and held her to her chest. She'd known her daughter for less than a day but she couldn't imagine a world without her in it.

As much as she hated cowering, she knew the only way to keep her daughter safe was to be obedient to them.

* * *

><p>Mira walked through the jungle; she had slipped away without anyone seeing her. The piece of paper was secured in the pocket inside her vest next to the picture she had of her beautiful Sienna. When Commander Taylor blew up the portal she thought the chance of seeing her daughter again was lost forever. She couldn't stop smiling. In few hours she could be holding her daughter in her arms again. All this time being here, Sienna was all she thought about. She had to hide it though; she couldn't afford to show weakness, not in front of that group.<p>

She continued walking, and then she stopped and listened. All she heard was the sounds of jungle. But no, there was something else. She knelt down and placed her hand flat in the dirt. There, she felt it. The ground shook beneath her fingers. It was too subtle to be an earthquake. She took off her backpack and dropped it on the ground, swung her gun behind her and climbed up the nearest tree. She climbed as high as could and braced herself against the trunk. She peered out over the canopy and couldn't see anything. She pulled out the binoculars from her pocket and peered through them. She adjusted the distance on them. She sucked in her breath; she'd recognize that cropped head of white hair anywhere.

They had done something to the trucks to make them silent. But that wasn't the biggest issue, that was that he had an entire armed convoy with him. And there would only one place they would be headed. She climbed back down from the tree, picked up her backpack and ran back in the direction she came from.

Tbc…


	22. Chapter 22

Consequences and Changes

Every action has a consequence, Skye is about to find out hers and it will change everything. A sequel to Persuasion.

* * *

><p>Ch 22<p>

She felt so much better after she had gone to the stream to wash herself and Summer. Now she was trying to get her to stop crying. She knew the soldiers wouldn't be able to stand it much longer and she really didn't want Captain Peirce coming in here. She rocked her arms gently back and forth, she already fed her and changed her, she didn't know what else to do.

Finally she stopped but she was still awake staring up at her. She had never really thought about being a mother before. She didn't play with dolls as a kid; she wore a bucket on her head and pretended a stick was her semi-automatic machine gun. She always wanted to be a soldier. She didn't think about getting married and having a family and she thought about it even less when she lost her dad and spent the rest of her teenage years lying and spying to save her mother.

She loved Lucas but she'd never loved anyone as powerfully as she loved her daughter. It was still strange to say that, this was her daughter, she was a mother now. She smiled at down and looked into her daughters green eyes.

"Skye!" she heard her name and turned around to see Mira in the doorway breathing heavily.

"Mira?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

"We have to get out of here NOW!" she said intensely running over to her and started throwing things into a bag. "I have to get you both out here" she said when Skye didn't move. "Taylor's coming with an army. He doesn't know you're here and they don't look like they are here to negotiate"

"Lucas" Skye said as her heart beat sped up and she held Summer closer to her chest.

"I have to get you out of here first" She knew she owed Lucas for finishing the equation but she knew even he would want Skye and his daughter safe.

"I know where we can take her" Staff Sergeant Jack Larson said coming inside the room holding his side, his brother James standing next to him. "There's a small path we take we need to get away from Captain Pierce" James said. Mira looked at both of them distrustfully. "I wouldn't be standing here if wasn't for her." Jack told Mira and turned to look Skye in the eyes. "You saved my life, I owe you" he said.

"You're going to need a weapon in case we run into any trouble" Caden said handing Jack and James a gun. Both Caden and Peter stood by the door. "Let's go" they said charging their weapons.

They went out the back entrance, Taylor hadn't reached the camp yet so everyone was going about their usual business. Caden and Peter walked ahead and made sure no one was paying attention and nodded for them follow.

"Lucas, we need to warn him too" Skye said to Mira. They hadn't let her see him since she had the baby.

Mira sighed and looked back towards the camp. "Fine, I'll try and get him." She said. She knew this led down to the sandbank. "Try to get a boat and out onto the water" she told the solders and they nodded. And she ran back towards the camp.

They reached the clearing and ducked down behind the foliage. She looked down at Summer who was awake but staying silent, almost like she knew she had to be quiet. They saw that the second group had just started rowing out into the water. There was only one boat that remained on the shore, with six soldiers loading supplies onto it.

James, Caden and Peter stood up and started walking towards the boat. Suddenly they heard a deafening noise and the ground shook beneath their feet. They all turned to see a fire light up some of the trees as the familiar sound of gunfire filled the air.

Now Summer was crying and Skye had jumped from the hiding spot when she heard the explosion. The other soldiers pulled their weapons. Suddenly gunfire erupted from behind one of them and he fell to the sand with a soft thud. James, Caden and Peter shot three of them and the fifth solider that was on the boat took care of last one. He caught Skye's eyes and she saw that it was Nick.

"Come on" Nick said to them. Skye ran to the boat while trying to calm Summer down.

Lucas was staring down at the paper in front of him seeing all his equations but still unable to make sense of them when he was jolted forward as the whole hut shook. He jumped from his chair and ran to the door that was an explosion. _Skye!_ _Summer!_ Were the only thoughts running through his mind. He tried to open it but it was locked. He rammed his shoulder into a couple times until it busted open.

He had to duck right away as he saw the scene playing out in front him. Gunfire was erupting from all sides; blood soaked the ground as soldiers were running around shooting and looking for cover. He got down on all fours and crawled on the ground. He needed to get the medical hut. He grabbed a gun from a fallen soldier, checked the cartridge and swung the strap over his chest. He stood up and ran to another hut to survey his surroundings. The medical hut was only a few feet in front of him, but soldiers seemed to be coming from every direction.

Mira made it the edge when the battle had begun. She barely had time to jump behind a tree as a bullet sailed past her. There was no way she'd make it to Lucas in time and with all this gunfire he already knew what was happening. He would want her to keep Skye and his daughter safe, so this was how she would repay him so she turned around.

He stayed close to wall of hut and moved around to the back, then ran to the next hut. He peeked around the corner and saw that the coast was clear as it was going to be and he ran through the door.

He was pitched forward by a force from behind and hit the ground hard. He took deep breaths and picked himself up. He wasn't hit but the hut was on fire and smoke was quickly filling the room. "Skye!" he yelled out as he ran to her room.

He looked around everything was on the floor, tables and chairs had been blown through the walls. He coughed as he tried to see through the smoke. "Skye!" he croaked out as he stepped on the debris searching the room. He saw the cradle knocked over and full of bullet holes. His heart skipped a beat as he ran over to it and flipped it over. He let out the breath he had been holding when he was it was empty, the blankets were gone too.

He was relieved that the hut was empty, but where did they go? They couldn't have run out there. Skye wouldn't have risked their daughter's life. His lungs started burning as they filled with smoke; he needed to get out of here. They weren't in here. He made his way to the back door and fell to his knees as his lungs tried to take in fresh air. He needed to keep breathing for them, he needed to find them.

His heart beat like a drum against his chest and he sucked in air, while his hands dug into the dirt. He looked up and through his clouded vision he saw a figure approaching him. He was too weak to go for his weapon, he knew it was foolish because if it were him he would've shot first, but he tried anyway held his hands up in surrender.

He wanted to wipe the tears in his eyes away to see more clearly but he didn't want to make it look like he was going for a weapon. Then he heard his name leave the dark figure's lips.

"Lucas?"

"Dad" Lucas said for the first time in life relieved that it was him. "Skye and Summer, did you find them? Did you save them?" He asked his voice hoarse from not being able to breathe.

"You're here, why are you here?" Taylor asked his mind filling with anguish. Then Lucas' words hit his brain, he had said Skye and "Summer?"

"My daughter, our daughter" Lucas said his anxiety mounting, because he knew what that meant. He hadn't seen them. He stood up unsteadily and started for the jungle.

"Daughter" Taylor repeated his mind trying to comprehend the fact that they were here. Had they been here the whole time? The bright lights of gunfire still saturated the sky, the ground still shook from the explosions and the smell of smoke permeated the air.

He looked at his son whose hair was longer and his beard had grown out and almost matched his own. But what he noticed most was the spark of light behind his eyes that were once filled with so much hatred and darkness. They were filled with anguish for someone other than himself. He wasn't the same man that had stabbed in his gut almost a year ago.

Suddenly Lucas got an idea of where they might've gone and he took off running, his lungs still burning from not getting enough oxygen.

Taylor followed his son who stumbled through the jungle to try to find his daughter and Skye.

Lucas fell and Taylor ran over to him and helped him back, Lucas didn't resist or flinch from his touch. He just looked at him and started running again.

They reached a beach and saw that it looked like a battle had taken place here as well. Five bodies littered the sand. Lucas ran out and looked around. He heard groaning and he ran towards the sound.

He fell to the ground next to the soldier and lifted him by his collar. "Skye, was she one of the boats?" He asked. He understood if she left, she needed to protect their baby. He just needed to know she was okay. The soldier looked at him defiantly. He took out his gun and pressed against his wound, the soldier grimaced in pain. "Was Skye on one of the boats!" He twisted the barrel of the gun until the soldier cried out. He knew this was a trained killer, they were taught how to withstand a certain amount of torture. He needed to try a different tactic. "You're going to beg for mercy if Captain Pierce finds out a woman that had a baby a few hours ago shot you and escaped"

_A few hours ago. _That news hit Taylor hard, he knew it was a possibility Skye had the baby already, but if he had gotten here a little earlier she would've still been in labor and he could've killed them both.

"She wasn't alone" the soldier managed to spit out through the increasing pain on his open wound.

Lucas wanted to cry, he had seen her, and she was okay. "A woman with a baby overpowered you?"

"No, she had soldiers with her, traitors" He said through gritted teeth.

Lucas moved the gun from his chest to the soldiers head. He held the barrel against it. His breathing was heavy has his heart beat sped up. He wanted to kill him. But he pulled the gun away slowly. A quick death was too good for this man, he'd let him choke on his own blood. Lucas stood up and walked over to the water.

He walked into the water and put his hands to his forehead as he tried to see out. This wasn't so much a beach but a little inlet that forked out into two different directions that led the ocean beyond. He squinted as he saw something moving in the water. He walked over to it; it looked like a piece of cloth tied to a stick. He reached into the water and picked it up. The cloth was a bandana, Mira's bandana. Was she with Skye? Had she come back, is that why Skye was already gone, did Mira warn her and get out her out of there? If she had then he'd be forever grateful to her.

He wouldn't be able to tell which way they went. But he walked out further anyway letting the water come up to his thighs. He felt slightly better that Mira was with her. He never expected to be putting so much trust into Mira. He hadn't expected her trust him either not after the way he treated her previously. Mira had become what he thought was their only ally. But somehow Skye managed to get a few soldiers on her side. He didn't know how she accomplished that. These were killers…like him and they also like him had been drawn to her. She made you want to be on her side, to follow her. She would've made a great General.

He heard splashing behind him as his father joined him in the water. He felt his father put his hand on his shoulder. He didn't move he just stood there staring out at the water.

Tbc…


End file.
